Moving Forward
by ekimmuh
Summary: The running is over, S4 never happened. Michael turned himself in after escaping SONA and returning to the US. This is a story about Michael, Sara, Lincoln, and LJ and how they put the past behind them and Move Forward.
1. Chapter 1

Mary and Sara left the clinic together and headed for their cars. "So, tonight's the big night?" Mary asked knowing full well that it was. Sara had been walking on air all day.

"Yes." Said Sara with a huge smile on her face.

Mary looked over at her friend. She was beaming and it was contagious and Mary smiled back. They had worked together now for over a year now. When Sara first came to work at the hospital Mary had been assigned to give her the grand tour and they had hit it off right away. After a few months, Mary had noticed that Sara was always volunteering to work the night shift. In fact, she calculated that her friend had not had a Friday night off since she had started. That was when Mary had jokingly asked Sara if she couldn't find anything better to do with her Friday nights…like go on a date. It was then that Mary had learned about Michael. To say she was a little shocked would have been an understatement. She couldn't imagine why a smart and beautiful doctor would be spending so much time with a convict.

It became obvious to her pretty quickly that this Michael meant a great deal to Sara. Mary began to notice that on days when Sara wasn't able to go to the prison, her mood would change. She would become distant. So after the initial shock had worn off, Mary had asked Sara to join her for coffee and asked her about him.

Michael had turned out to be Michael Scofield, the Fox River escape. Mary remembered all the news reports she had heard a year before when the nationwide manhunt had been going on. It was a huge deal at the time. As Sara continued to explain, the pieces had all begun to fall in place. Sara had been the prison doctor that had been implicated in helping the prisoners, including Michael Scofield, escape.

The urge to ask Sara if she had indeed helped Michael was almost too much to bear. It was obvious she had strong feelings for him now. But Mary had held her tongue. She liked Sara and her friend seemed to have enough to deal with at the moment. Instead she had just listened. Sara told her how she and Michael's brother Lincoln were hoping Michael would be released in a years time and how much the short visits she was allowed with him brighten her day.

A few weeks later someone from work had been passing by the prison and had seen her leaving. A few days later the whole floor knew that Sara's boyfriend was a prisoner. Some of the staff had not made it easy for her. Comments were made and Mary could tell sometimes it was all Sara could do to hold it together. It was then that Mary had truly learned what kind of relationship Sara and Michael had.

Sara was pulling a double shift and so was Mary. At midnight they met as they always did when they worked together for coffee in the break room. Mary was telling Sara about all the errands she had to run in her four hours off this afternoon. When she asked Sara what she would be doing with her four hours of freedom she said she was going to the prison to see Michael.

About six in the morning, a patient was brought in to the ER from the local prison. Word of the prisoner's presence had quickly spread through the hospital staff and one of the nurses, Jean, had made a few less than tactful remarks to Sara. Mary hadn't heard exactly what was said but she had seen Sara's face fall. She had quickly walked up to her friend and had kindly told Jean to find some work to do. Mary had tried to offer Sara some comfort but she wouldn't take it. When the morning duty ended, Mary didn't know how her friend was going to be able to come back and work through yet another shift. Mary watched as Sara had walked to her car in a trance.

When Sara walked though the door four hours later Mary had to do a double take. She no longer had that detached look. Her features were relaxed and she even had a slight sparkle in her eye. The transformation was nothing short of amazing. Mary didn't care what Michael Scofield had or hadn't done. He made her friend happy and that was all that mattered.

Michael had been out of prison for three months and ever since, Sara changed for the better. In general, she was much happier. From what Mary gathered from the bits of information Sara shared with her was that the two of them saw each other most everyday. What Mary couldn't understand was why this "date", as Sara kept calling it, tonight was so special. She had been asking herself and Sara that question since Sara had come in Monday morning with a smile the size of Texas on her face.

"Sara, what is so special about tonight. Haven't you been "dating" him for the past two years?" Mary asked even though she knew she was going to get the same answer she had gotten all week.

Sara just smiled, gave her friend and hug and got into her car. Mary was left standing in the parking lot shaking her head at her friend. She got into her car smiling and glad that her friend was finally happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Michael logged off his computer and shut it down for the weekend. Making sure everything was where it should be he grabbed his jacket and left his desk. He was almost to the door when he heard his boss yell for him. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he knew he owed John for giving him this job.

After his release, he had put his resume together and sent it off to every engineering firm in Chicago. Only a handful had called him in for an interview and most of those had only wanted to meet the notorious Michael Scofield in person. Only one had been serious. Willing to give him a chance. It was nothing like his old job. The firm was small and he was having to start all over, but he loved being able to mole over the details of a building again. So instead of walking out the door he turned around and headed toward his boss' voice.

He rounded the corner and entered John's office. His boss looked up from behind his desk and motioned for Michael to take a seat. Michael gave a quick glance at his watch, trying to figure out how much he would have to alter his schedule once he made it out of the office in order to make it to Sara's on time, and made his way to the chair in front of John's desk.

This had not escaped John's notice. Michael was a good worker. He had made a good decision to bring him into their growing firm. "Got some place you need to be?"

Michael, who had been glancing down at his watch again, looked up at John. "I do." When it became evident that John was waiting for more, "I am taking my girl out tonight and I don't want to be late."

John gave Michael a reassuring smile and relaxed a little. "Would this be the girl whose picture is on your desk?"

"Yes."

Michael was a very private person. This John had figured out pretty quickly. He was great at what he did, figuring out buildings, but share he did not. The only thing John had learned about him thus far was what he had read in the papers, which he didn't give much credence to, and what was on his resume. Michael had only two personal items on his desk and both were pictures. The first was of him, his brother, and a young man. He assumed the younger one was Michael's nephew, his brother's son who had been mentioned in the papers, but he wasn't sure. The other was of an auburn haired woman. "What's her name?"

"Sara. Her name is Sara."

John could tell Michael didn't want to talk about this so he decided to jump to the chase and address why he had called him into his office at five o'clock on a Friday evening. "I received a call from your parole officer today."

This brought Michael's head up in a hurry. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. I don't think so anyway." It was now time for John to be out of his comfort zone. This was not something he was used to dealing with. He had never hired a felon before and wasn't used to dealing with parole officers, so he had been caught a little off guard by the call. "He said he just wanted to make sure you were doing well here at the firm." John saw the relief on Michael's face and realized how hard this must be for him. Although he now had a good job and was trying to get his life back on track, he still had to answer to someone who could take his new freedom away from him at a moments notice.  
"Look, I don't want to keep you from your date but when I got off the call I realized I had never sat down with you to ask how it really was going. I have no complaints about your work. We are a growing firm and you can have a great future here." From the look on Michael's face he decided to come to the point. "How are you getting along with your co-workers, Michael?"

Michael didn't know how to answer at first. Should he lie and say that everyone had been great or be honest and say things were tense at times but they were getting better. How could he complain? He was a convicted felon and that made people nervous. He couldn't blame them. In the end, he decided honesty was best. "Things are ok. I make some of them nervous, but we get the work done."

John had been expecting a brush off and was surprised to get such an open answer from this private man. "Is there anything I can do to help with that?"

Although John was his boss, he was also the first person since Sucre to offer friendship. "I think time will be the best thing. The more they get to know me the easier things will be."

"Well if there is anything I can do, you'll let me know?" Michael nodded. John knew he had gotten more out of Michael than expected so he wasn't going to press it. "I won't keep you any longer. I know you have a hot date tonight." He smiled and Michael got up from his chair and moved toward the door. "Oh Michael, one more thing?" Michael paused at the door and turned his head back toward his boss. "Why don't you bring Sara by next week. I would like to meet her."

Michael hadn't been expecting a request like this. Why did he want to meet Sara? But instead of asking he just said, "Sure," turned back around and hurried to his car.


	3. Chapter 3

Sara was feeling on top of the world as she got into her car to drive back to her apartment. Mary was such a great friend. A year ago when Sara had shared Michael with her, Mary had been great. She never knew how people were going to react when they found out she was THE Michael Scofield's girlfriend. Mary had just listened to her story and didn't judge. At the time, Sara had needed that more than anything.

Over the last year, Mary had listen to her tell about her visits to see Michael at the prison and the Saturday pizza nights at Lincoln's. Sara remembered the long discussion explaining Lincoln and LJ. It had almost taken as much explanation as Michael had. But the fact was they had included her as part of their family. She was important to Michael so she was important to them. She didn't know what she would have done without them while Michael was behind bars. The visits were always too short. His lawyer had managed to negotiate private visitations, however, the guards usually refused to remove his cuffs since he was considered an escape risk. She had cherished those few times when the guards had let his hands free and he had been able to hold her close. She could see why her friend didn't understand about tonight.

When Michael was finally released, Lincoln had helped him find a small apartment not far from where he and LJ were staying. Michael had insisted he needed some time to get back on his feet. It had felt as though he was keeping his distance from her and that had hurt. Although he had kept her in his life and included her in all the family gatherings, he had kept everything casual. He had made no attempts to take their relationship any further than hugs and goodbye kisses at the end of the evening.

It had taken Michael a while to find a job. When he announced at their weekly family gathering three weeks ago that he had finally been offered a job, the simple pizza feast turned into a celebration and had cause Sara to be late for work the next morning.

Then when Michael dropped her off at her apartment last Saturday night he surprised her by asking her to have dinner with him on Friday. She hadn't understood what he meant at first. They usually had dinner together more often than not during the week. When he realized she was confused by his proposal, he had given her one of his shy smiles and reminded her he still owed her that dinner he had promised her in Fox River. She hadn't known what to say. She had almost forgot about that exchange with all they had been through since but Michael, of course, hadn't. She had met his eyes and said "that sounds nice" and he had flashed her a smile that nearly stopped her heart. He had given her a short kiss goodnight and left her at the door.

She knew she was probably over reacting but every night they spent together ended the same. Michael would drop her off at her door, kiss her goodnight, and tell her he loved her. He never asked to come in or turned the kiss into something other than a goodnight. Michael Scofield was a gentleman. It was one of the things she loved about him. But if she had anything to say about it, tonight he would not be going home.

Her thoughts brought a smile again as she drove. Michael never failed to surprise her and maybe after tonight she would surprise him too. After all they had been through together, he was still true to his word and was taking her to dinner. Tonight was the perfect night to move things forward in their relationship. She knew it would sound silly to anyone else but she had been waiting two years for this.


	4. Chapter 4

Michael stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, and took a deep breath of the steam filled air. Three months since his release and it was something he was still getting used to. Simple things like being able to take a shower or brush his teeth whenever he wanted were still a novelty. He walked to the mirror, wiped the steam clear and began to shave.

His second time being locked up in Fox River had been very different than the first. The new warren had insisted on him being brought back there instead of being sent to Statesville. He had wanted to prove that he could succeed in keeping Michael inside where Pope had failed. Extensive searches of his cell and himself had been demanded every week. And the CO's? Although none of them crossed the line, which he figured was due to fear of the new warden, most of the CO's that had been there when he had escaped made sure he didn't receive any leniencies. He was always relieved when one of the new CO escorted him and he didn't feel manhandled so much.

The other difference the second time around was that he didn't have the focus the escape gave him. His L.L.I. took in everything around him and many nights made it difficult for him to sleep. He had thought about asking for something but being in gen pop…, that didn't seem like a good idea. If he had learned one thing the first time around it was that you had to be alert at all times, even at night. But he had made it one day at a time by trying not to get overwhelmed by the activity around him and find details to focus on.

Turning his face from side to side Michael checked to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

He took another deep breath, stepped out of his bathroom and into the bedroom of his small apartment. He was running later than he had planned. He hadn't been expecting to get called into John's office. When his boss had told him about his parole officer calling, the first thing that had popped into Michael's mind was that something had happened and he was getting sent back. His second thought had been of Sara. She had been through so much with him, for him. He couldn't ask her to wait again. He wouldn't. More than anything else he wanted her to be happy.

He knew his boss had been aware of his nervous reaction to the mention of his parole officer. John had been quick to reassure him it had only been a check in call and nothing to be worried about. He liked John as a boss. He had been straightforward with him from the start and now that he thought about it, John had probably been just as nervous getting that call as he had been hearing about it.

Michael took a look around his bedroom. It wasn't much, but after living in a cell it was more than enough. Linc had found it for him once his release date had been set. It was in the prefect location. Sara, Lincoln and LJ were all within a ten-minute drive. Thinking of Sara reminded him he needed to hurry. He had spent the last few days planning this evening. He wanted everything to be just right for her.

Since his release he had been keeping his distance. He knew it and he knew she knew it as well. He hadn't meant to put distance between them exactly. He certainly hadn't meant to hurt her but he knew he had. He just hadn't felt right asking her for anything more until he had gotten himself back on his feet. She deserved more than that. He had known getting a job would be difficult with his criminal background but until that hurdle had been crossed he wasn't about to ask anything else of her.

Michael walked over to his closet and selected his nicest suit and tie. The suit was dark blue. He had bought it specifically for his job interviews wanting a new suit to start his new life. His hand stilled as it found the tie. The tie had been a gift from Sara. It was blue as well, however, the design was the same color as his eyes. She had given it to him right before his first interview. For luck, she said.

Michael began buttoning his shirt and watched as his inked chest disappeared. Grabbing his tie a smile lit his face as he remembered Sara helping him put it on for that first interview. Not that he had needed help. He had put so many ties on over the years, but he had loved the feel of her figures brushing the skin at his neck. Since he had been holding himself at a distance from her the moment had been a sweet torture.

He thought back to last weekend when he had stood outside Sara's door and asked her to have dinner with him. The confusion on her face was evident before he had explained. He had been so happy when she'd said yes; he had hardly been able to contain himself. Michael had smiled all the way back to his apartment that night and had a hard time falling asleep.

He finished adjusting his tie and grabbed the jacket from its hanger. He had high hopes for tonight. He grabbed a small velvet box from his dresser and placed it discreetly in his pocket. With one last look around the room he snatched up his keys and headed out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Sara had arrived home an hour ago and was now standing in front of her closet in frustration. She didn't know what to wear. Most of her clothing was casual and this was too important to pick just anything. Maybe she should have taken Mary up on her offer earlier in the week to go shopping but she'd been sure she could find something in her closet.

She knew Michael well enough to know he never did anything half way. He would have everything for tonight planned. She needed to put as much thought into her outfit as she knew he would put into their date. Besides, she had seduction in mind and that needed planning of its own.

Ten minutes later she was still standing in front of her closet. "Ugh." This was too hard. She had to find something to wear. She had found a couple of dresses that might work but nothing she thought would knock Michael off his feet.

A wicked smile appeared on Sara's face. She remembered a dress she had worn three years ago to one of her dad's political functions, before she had met Michael in Fox River. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

Sara reached into the very back of her closet and pulled out the simple black dress. "This will work" she smiled. She looked over at the clock and realized she only had 20 minutes. Michael was never late. She headed to her dresser and selected the sexiest undergarments she owned. With everything she needed in hand she headed for the bathroom to finish getting ready.

~

Michael had just put the car in park outside of Sara's building when his cell rang. He looked down at the screen. Lincoln. Michael couldn't think of any reason for his brother to be calling him tonight so he answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey little brother."

"Hey Linc, what's up?"

Michael could hear his brother smiling on the other end of the line and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "I just wanted to wish you good luck on your date tonight."

"Uh…yea…thanks." He was a little confused why his brother was wishing him luck on his date with Sara. Did Lincoln know how nervous he was about tonight? What he had planned? Michael hadn't intended to tell his brother at all about their date, but then Lincoln had asked him to come over and watch the game with him and LJ so he had had no choice. He had kept it short and sweet. No details. But something told Michael Lincoln knew more about tonight than what Michael had shared with him. "Was there anything else?"

Lincoln gave a little laugh and said, "Nope. Just have fun Mikey." And with that Lincoln disconnected.

Ok that was strange Michael thought. He looked at his watch and realized he couldn't sit in his car any longer. Michael got out of the car and made his way into Sara's apartment building.

~

Lincoln gave a little chuckle as he hung up the phone. Michael was right. Lincoln had no idea what he had planned for the evening, but he did have an idea what Sara had planned for his little brother. Oh she hadn't said anything directly but she had been hinting over the last few weeks. Asking Lincoln his advise on how to get Michael to stop holding back in their relationship. It just so happened that with an invitation for Michael to come over and watch the game, Lincoln had found out about the date.

Two day's later Sara had again brought up the subject of how to get Michael to "take the next step". Lincoln had taken his past talks with Sara seriously. She was family now and he had no doubt that Michael had a plan and would one of these days get off his butt and ask her to marry him. Sara of course seemed, on that front at least, willing to wait him out.

He knew Sara had been disappointed when Michael had insisted he get his own place upon his release. It had been obvious to Lincoln that Sara had expected Michael to move in with her; even though he was pretty sure they had yet to sleep together. After tonight, however, he was expecting that to change, at least if Sara had anything to say about it.

With a goofy grin on his face, Lincoln picked up the phone again and called their favorite pizza place. "LJ. What do you want on your pizza tonight?"


	6. Chapter 6

The elevator door opened. Michael stepped out into the hall and made his way to Sara's door. Once there he stopped. His mind began to review all of his plans for the evening, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything, which of course he knew he hadn't. Once through the thought process however, he began again from the top. A few seconds in, he paused. Why was he doing this? Everything was in place.

He wanted this to be special for her. She had been waiting on him and he was not just thinking about the time he had spent behind bars. She had been expecting things to move forward in their relationship since he had gotten out. He knew she didn't understand, but it had been important to him that he have a job and get his life back on some sort of track before he offered her any type of future. She had stood by him these last two years through everything. Had sacrificed so much for him.

She had told him about her friend Mary at the hospital. He was glad she had found someone to talk to but he also knew there had been others who had not been so kind when they had found out about her relationship with him. Oh she had tried to hide it when she would come to visit him while he served the mandated sentence, but he knew her too well. Each time it had happened he could see it in her eyes and it broke his heart that he was again causing her more pain. But she had chosen to stay with him, and he was glad for that. Michael began to relax. She was family. His family. With a smile on his face he reached up and knocked on Sara's door.

His hand had barely pulled away when the door opened. The smile disappeared. In the last two years, he had seen her in jeans, scrubs, and a few pairs of slacks but nothing had prepared him for this. Sara wore a black dress that hung just off her shoulders. It was a cocktail dress, he knew. It reached just past her knees where it flared out a little. She had pulled her hair up with curls hanging down to frame her face and she wore earrings that dangled just below her ear.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

~

Sara had opened the door and found Michael dressed in his best suit and the tie she had bought for him. The smile she had seen when she first opened the door was now gone. In its place was an intensity that was solely Michael. He was studying her. Taking in every detail. She hopped he liked what he saw and from the heat she was seeing in his eyes she was pretty sure he did.

Her body was beginning to heat up as he continued to run his eyes over her. Maybe she should make her move now instead of later. When she went to speak it came out in a husky whisper, "would you like to come in?"

Michael met her eyes for a second and then shook himself out of the fog he was in. Man she could make him forget everything else around him. He would have to stay extra focused tonight if things were to go as planned. Michael cleared his throat, "No."

He could see she was disappointed so he quickly added, "Our reservations are at seven and we don't want to be late."

It was clear to Michael she was still disappointed although he wasn't quite sure why. But before he could say anything else she reached behind her, grabbed her purse, and stepped out into the hall closing the door behind her.

He held out his arm. She looked at the proffered arm and then up at him. She loved this man so much. No one had ever made her feel as he did. She would go along with whatever he had planned for her tonight. She took his arm and he guided her to the elevator.


	7. Chapter 7

Michael found a parking space only a block from the restaurant. He parked the car and walked around to open the door for her. Sara got out of the car and again he offered her his arm. She felt so safe with Michael, soft and sexy, protected. She took his arm again and leaned in to him as they walked the short way to the restaurant.

As they entered Sara noticed the name of the restaurant, Cabral's. It had only been a short drive from her apartment, but she had never been here before. She wondered how Michael knew about it. She took in her surroundings as Michael spoke to the maitre d'. The restaurant was elegant. This was not the sort of place you came to in jeans and a t-shirt.

A few minutes later they were being escorted to a table toward the back of the dinning room. The maitre d' held out her chair for her and they both took their seats. Immediately the waiter approached with the menus and wine selection. Michael spoke up and told the waiter they wouldn't be having any wine this evening. Although there was nothing in his parole stipulations saying he couldn't drink alcohol, this night was for Sara and he wouldn't be drinking when she couldn't.

After taking their drink order, the waiter departed and Sara began to look at her menu. She felt Michael's eyes on her and looked up. His menu lay closed on the table in front of him. "Aren't you going to look over the menu?"

"I already know what I'm having," he said.

Michael had that look on his face like he knew something you didn't. "And what is that?" Sara asked.

He placed his napkin across his lap and met her eyes. "I thought I would have the same thing you're having."

Sara knew she was missing something but wasn't sure what. She glanced down at the menu again and began to scan for what she thought Michael thought she would choose for dinner. She stopped and a smile lit her face as she looked back across the table at Michael.

He had been watching her. From the look on her face Michael could tell she had put the puzzle together. He met her smile with one of his own, "that is if you haven't changed you mind."

Their waiter returned to their table with the drinks. "Have you decided on what you will be having for dinner this evening?"

Sara had almost been on the verge of bursting out laughing she was so happy when the waiter had approached. She had rained herself in but wasn't sure she could talk at the moment. Instead she bit her lower lip and just nodded to Michael.

"Yes. I think we will both be having your filet minion tonight."

"That is an excellent choice. Two filet minion dinners." The waiter took the menus and headed back to place their order.

Although Michael had been talking to the waiter his eyes had never left Sara. She was so beautiful. She had been his ray of light in a sea of darkness for the last two years. He would do everything he could to make her happy.


	8. Chapter 8

The filet minion was amazing. They had talked about some of the classes LJ was taking this semester and Sara's need to find a new car soon. To anyone else those topics might have sounded dull for a date such as this, but after what they had been through topics like this were heavenly.

The waiter came to clear their plates and helped them to select desert. The evening was going so well. Michael was relaxed and happy. Something Sara hoped to see more often now that his life had found some normalcy again.

They continued to talk as their waiter returned with their deserts. She had selected cheesecake and he had chosen tiramisu. She had just begun to ask him how his job was going when she noticed a change in his features. He had gotten tense and was no longer listening to her.

She followed his eyes just in time to see a middle age man walking toward their table. She didn't know who he was, but he had reporter written all over him. Sara turned back to face Michael and saw their waiter out of the corner of her eye. She signaled him they were ready for their check and he disappeared almost immediately to go and fetch it. She knew there was no way to avoid this reporter entirely but she was hoping they would be able to get out of here before too many questions could be asked.

"Your Michael Scofield." It was a statement rather than a question.

Michael didn't say anything although Sara could see the tension in his jaw. "This is an awfully nice place to find a recently released felon. They must pay more in prison's now a days than I thought."

Sara saw their waiter approaching with their check and she sighed with relief. He smoothly interrupted and handed the check over to Michael. "I can take it now if you would like sir."

The waiter's voice broke through Michael's thoughts. He reached into his wallet and paid the waiter in cash. "Keep the change."

"Thank you sir. It has been a pleasure to serve you this evening." The waiter came around and pulled out Sara's chair for her and he waited by the table as she and Michael headed for the door.

They made their way out of the restaurant as quickly as they could without actually running and headed straight for Michael's car. Sara was glad the waiter had read the look in her eyes correctly. She didn't know what kind of a tip Michael had given him but as far as she was concerned it wasn't enough. She would have to make a point to come by tomorrow and leave something extra for him as a thank you.

As Michael closed the door for Sara he looked back to see if they had been followed. They hadn't. This is not how he had wanted to end the evening. Everything had been going so well and he had planned to take her for a walk along the beach and propose in the moonlight. Now it just didn't seem to fit. The mood had been broken and by some lousy reporter who thought he was being funny.

It took all the effort Michael had to not hit the roof of his car before getting in. Instead he opened the door and slid behind the steering wheel. He glanced over at Sara who was sitting quietly with her hands in her lap. He knew what he had to do. "Would you like me to take you home?"

Sara had been thinking of ways she could make things better again for Michael when she heard him ask her if she wanted him to take her home. She should have expected this. He always tried to protect her. She looked up and met his eyes. "Actually, I was just thinking how I didn't get to finish my desert so I was wondering if maybe we could stop for ice cream." Sara ended this statement with a smile and hoped Michael would take the branch she had offered.

He wasn't sure how to react. She wanted ice cream? And now she was smiling at him, her eyes bright with excitement he couldn't help but smile back. "Ice cream sounds good."

He put the car in drive and set out to find ice cream.


	9. Chapter 9

Ice cream in hand they made their way across the street to a city park. It was late and although the park had plenty of lighting, there weren't very many people out taking a stroll at this hour. They found a bench and sat down. Both had been pretty quite since leaving the restaurant. It was Sara who finally broke the silence. "You were going to tell me how your job was going?"

Michael had been deep in thought trying to figure out how to salvage what was left of their date together when Sara spoke. It was then he noticed that his ice cream was melting fast and would soon be all over him if he didn't do something fast. He took a moment to get his ice cream cone back under control and then turned his attention to Sara. "The job is going good. I'm glad to be working again. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it."

Sara noticed how Michael had relaxed when he started talking about his work. She knew how much he loved figuring out how things went together and solving problems. That's why he had been so good at breaking out of Fox River and Sona. It was also what made him a great structural engineer.

Michael continued to share details with her about the project he was working on and Sara sat back and listened as she finished her ice cream. She would jump in every now and then to ask him to clarify things but for the most part she'd just listened.

He had just started to tell her about the new project his boss, John, had shown him they would be working on next when he stopped. She waited to see if he would continue but he just sat, staring a whole in the ground. She noticed the tension in his jaw was back and quickly looked around to make sure they were still alone.

Satisfied there were no reporters around she turned her attention back to him. Sara reached out and laid her hand on his arm, "Michael?" He raised his head and looked up at her. "What's wrong?" she asked in a whisper.

He took his other hand and placed it over hers. After a brief pause, he turned to face her but didn't release her hand. "Sara," he sighed. "My boss, John, he wants to meet you."

Sara had been holding her breath up to this point. She had been afraid he was going to say something horrible but instead his boss wanted to meet her. She was so relived and she began to smile until she realized he wasn't. Obviously Michael didn't think this was a good thing. "Michael, I get the feeling you don't want me to meet him."

Michael sighed, released Sara's hand and turned back to face forward on the bench. "It's not that. It's just…" Michael put his face in his hands as was common when he was frustrated and not sure what to do next. Sara was determined to wait him out. Finally he sat back and placed his hands in his lap. "I'm not sure he wants to meet you to meet you, or if he just wants to see what kind of woman would be with an ex-con." He turned his head and looked at her as he said, "and you don't deserve that."  
She should have known. Michael was trying to protect her again. "Why do you think he would want to…" She couldn't quite find a way to phrase it without it sounding funny so she decided to just repeat what he had said, "to see what kind of woman would be with an ex-con?"

He leaned forward again and this time rested his elbows on his knees, keeping his eyes forward. "I don't know. I guess I have no reason really." He turned his head back to look at her again, "I know things haven't been easy for you, that people give you a hard time about me." She had been about to speak when he continued. "The last thing I want is to be responsible for causing you more pain."

This man was amazing and not always in a good way. He had such a sense of responsibility and when it came to her it seemed to kick into high gear. Sara knew what she had to do. She took a deep breath and sat up straight. "Michael. I want you to listen to me." He had noticed the tone in her voice and had sat back up. He was now facing her. "You are a wonderful man and I love you. But you are not responsible for how people treat me and that includes how they treat me for "choosing" to be with you. I want to be with you and I know that means that sometimes people are going to think less of me and that's ok. But if we are going to be together, truly be together, then we can't hide from the world." Sara paused to see what kind of reaction she was getting. Michael's face wasn't a shining beacon of hope but at least some of the tension had left him so Sara decided to press on. "I want to meet your boss. He gave you a job when no one else would so he can't be that bad."

What happened next Sara had not been expecting. Within seconds Michael had moved next to her on the bench and wrapped his arms around her. He was holding her so tight she could barely breathe.

When he finally pulled back, his hand came up to cup her face. His finger massaged her cheek and he said, "I love you Sara Tancredi." Michael closed the short distance separating them and she felt his lips touch hers.

He kept the kiss soft, his lips barley making contact at first. Sara had moved her hands to the front of his shirt and her palms were burning wholes in his chest. He wanted more but knew this would have to be enough for now.

Sara had melted into him at the first touch of his lips on hers. She was trying to deepen the kiss and he knew he needed to pull away but he just wanted to stay close to her. A couple of late night runner's footfalls brought Michael back to where they were. He pulled back slightly and studied her face.

Sara could still feel where his lips had been on hers. More than ever she wanted to be with him tonight so her next words were more than appropriate "take me home," she whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

Michael parked his car in front of her apartment. He moved quickly to once again open her door for her. When she didn't immediately get out he offered her his hand, which she took. She stood but didn't release his hand so he reached from behind and closed the car door.

They walked into her apartment building hand in hand. The security guard nodded hello Sara nodded back. She could feel Michael tense a little beside her. Sara knew this was a gut reaction to when he had been on the run, always trying to be inconspicuous. A few weeks after his release they had been at the mall trying to find him a new suit for his interviews. He hadn't wanted to wear the same one he had for his trial, which she understood. It was then he had confided in her that it was times like these he missed his baseball cap. She was sure this was another one of these times.

When the elevator door closed behind them she felt him begin to relax again but now her nerves were starting. Once the elevator doors opened to her floor and he walked her to her door she knew what would happen. She would open the door and he would begin to say goodnight. But tonight she was going to change things. She had a plan and she was going to stick to it.

The elevator doors opened to her floor and they both stepped out. When they reached her door she released his hand, found her keys, and opened the door. But instead of turning back to face him as she usually did, she pushed the door open wide and headed straight for her kitchen.

Michael was left at the door not quite knowing what to think. Ever since they pulled up to her apartment she had be acting a little weird. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. She had held tightly to his hand ever since he had offered it to her. Not that he minded. It was just different. Now instead of the usual goodnight ritual they had at the door that always left him feeling content if not sometimes a bit frustrated, he was standing in her open doorway alone watching as she retreated into her kitchen. After a few seconds, he saw her peak her head back around the corner, "Would you like something to drink? I can put some coffee on?"

It took another second to register that she was inviting him in. Although he had been in her apartment several times before, they had always ended their evening outings together at her door. Tonight was different, however, on many levels. This was a date and it wasn't uncommon to be invited in for coffee after an evening out. So Michael stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

He was only halfway to the kitchen when Sara emerged. "The coffee is on. It should be ready in about ten minutes." She headed to the couch and sat down so he followed suit.

Sara wasn't quite sure what to do now. She had gotten him to come inside so she could mark step one off her list. The question was what to do now. Thankfully she was saved from coming up with an answer. Michael was sitting beside her on the sofa and was suddenly looking more nervous that she was.

"Sara I'm sorry this evening didn't go exactly as I planned. I wanted it to be perfect for you."

"It has been a lovely evening Michael."

He gave her a shy smile and took a deep breath. "Sara there was something I wanted to ask you tonight, but…well, you know."

Sara smiled back. Yes. She knew he was referring to the reporter that had interrupted the end of their meal but things had turned out fine, better than fine in her opinion.

Michael reached into his pants pocked and felt the small velvet box. "Sara…" Just then his cell phone began to ring. His head was spinning. Who was calling him now?!

His cell rang a second time and still he didn't answer it. "Are you going to get that?" Sara asked.

Pulled out of his thoughts, he released his hold on the box and pulled out his cell.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hello?"

"Uncle Mike?"

Michael sat up straighter, "LJ? What's wrong?"

"It's ok Uncle Mike, nothing's wrong. I just kinda need your help is all."

Michael breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed LJ to Sara as he stood and walked over to the window. "What kind of help are you in need of?"

"Well this is kind of embarrassing and I know it is late and all but…well I am studying for this math test I have tomorrow and I am really stumped. It's this word problem about some building. Will you help?"

Michael was so glad this wasn't a crisis that he asked LJ to read the problem to him and he would see what he could do. Being a structural engineer, the situation the problem dealt with was something he had to figure out on a regular bases but he couldn't just give his nephew the answer. He thought about it for a moment and walked LJ though the problem step by step.

Sara had remained on the couch at first listening to Michael's side of the conversation. When she realized this may be her perfect opportunity, she walked over to the door and made sure it was locked for the night, then she walked over to stand behind Michael and waited for him to finish.

LJ thanked his uncle for helping him and said goodnight. Michael assured him he could call him anytime.

Michael closed his phone and placed it back in his jacket pocket. He turned around and noticed Sara was only a few feet from him. She quickly closed the distance. And without saying a word she reached up with both hands and placed them on his chest under his jacket. Michael was almost afraid to move. He could feel the heat from her hands and then she began to move her hands up until she reached his shoulders. Her hands continued to travel down his arms taking his jacket with them. It landed on the floor at his feet.

Sara was so nervous. No one had ever been so important to her before and she wanted this night to be special. She hoped he wanted that too. He was standing very still as her hands made their way back up his arms and back to his shoulders. She paused and looked up at him though her lashes. When she saw the look in his eyes she began to relax a little. He wanted this just as much as she did and it made her bold. Sara reached up and took his head in her hands closing the remaining space between them. Her lips touched his and she put all the love and passion she had for him behind it.  
It didn't take long for Michael to respond. Once Sara's lips had touched his the restraint he had been holding onto went out the window. He placed his hands on her hips and molded her body to his. He wanted her as close as possible.

Soon it wasn't enough for either of them. Michael reluctantly pulled back, reached down and lifted her into his arms. As he carried her into the bedroom, he was surprised he hadn't bumped into anything on the way. Although their lips were no longer touching, their eyes had never left each other's.

She slid down him as he put her down by the bed. Immediately she was back in his arms. Their lips came together as though the kiss had never been interrupted. Sara opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance. Their mouths locked together in a kiss that didn't seem to have an end. Michael's hands roamed Sara's back trying to find a way to get her closer.

Sara was having the same problem. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. They were both wearing too much clothing. She reached between them and started loosening his tie. Once she was able to get that out of her way she began unbuttoning his shirt. The first few buttons had given her some trouble but after that she got into a rhythm until her hands became hindered by where their bodies were molded together. She let out a sound of frustration. Michael broke the kiss and pulled back to give her room to work.

She felt the absence of his lips the moment they left hers. Although glad to be able to finish the task she had set, she wanted him closer to her again and worked quickly to remove his shirt. But as she continued to undo more buttons the ink on his chest became more and more visible. It was strange. She had seen it so many times in Fox River but for some reason this time was different. Once his shirt was removed, instead of pulling him close as she had planned, her hands began to move over his chest to explore the details in the artwork.

When Sara had put her hands on his bare chest and begun to trace the ink that covered his torso, he had done his best to remain as still. He was normally self-conscious about his ink, but not with Sara. He would stand here all night if that's what she wanted.

But it wasn't. Just as Michael was becoming accustomed to Sara's hands, she bent her head and replaced them with her mouth. She began at the top of his tattoo and slowly worked her way down. When she reached his stomach she lingered and he sucked in his breath. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

Just when he thought he wouldn't be able to stand it any longer, Sara walked her fingers back up his chest and brushed her lips with his. Then she reached behind her and unzipped her dress. It silently fell to the floor leaving her in her bra and panties.

Michael tried to swallow but his mouth was dry. She was so beautiful and she was his. Before he could move, she was back in his arms pressing her entire body against him. Bringing their lips together once again. He wrapped his arms around her and used his hands to explore. His lips relinquished their hold on hers and made their way to do some exploration of their own.

Sara took the opportunity to use the space that opened up between them as Michael nibbled at her ear and throat to remove his belt and pants. It took her a while to accomplish her goal as he kept distracting her with his mouth. Every time she thought she was almost their, he would do something with his tongue that would have her eyes rolling back into her head.

When Michael finally felt his pants fall down around his ankles, he took a moment to step out of them before picking up where he left off. His goal had been to taste every inch of her, to memorize every detail. He was taking his time. They had waited a long time for this and he wanted to cherish it.

She however had other ideas. The only barriers left between them were their underwear. He began to feel her back away. Sara moved onto the bed and reached for him. He followed her and soon they were in each other's arms again. It didn't take long before the underwear was history.

Sara's hands moved down Michael's back as his mouth made its way down her throat to her breast. Everything Michael did he gave his full attention and this was no different. He raised his hand to cup her breast and slowly began to massage it with both and hand and mouth. His attention to detail was amazing. He had started with one breast and had then move to the other giving it just as much attention as the previous one. With each he had not been satisfied until he had elicited a moan of pleasure from her.

His mouth continued its journey south across her stomach. She sucked in a deep breath as he moved lower. He detoured briefly to kissed the inside of each of her thighs. Then his mouth was on her and she jumped. She could feel him smile at this. "What's so funny Scofield?" she said in a husky voice.

This of course just made him smile wider. But instead of answering her, he went back to what he was doing. His mouth was…magical. Michael inserted his finger and found her sweet spot. As he continued to work his magic, she could feel the tension building inside her. Her breathing became ragged and she pushed her head back into the pillow gripping the sheets beside her. With one final flick of his tongue she arched her back and lost control.

~

Sara felt as if all her bones had left her body. Her breath was loud in her ears. Michael removed his finger from inside her and crawled up her body without losing contact. He wrapped his arms around her and held on while she came back down to earth.

She wanted to touch him but it took so much effort to move. She trusted Michael completely and it had been so easy to let herself lose control. She couldn't remember ever feeling like this. With concentration she brought her arms up and settled them on his shoulders.

Michael felt Sara bring her arms up. Her breathing was slowly getting back to normal. His face was resting in the crook of her neck. He was focusing on a small scar just below her ear. He wondered how she had gotten it. It was old and had probably happened when she was a child. Michael had had to find something to focus on to give her time to recover. He wanted her but he didn't want to just take her which is what he body was telling him to do. He needed to give her a few minutes. Just a few. Michael knew the moment she was ready to resume. Her breathing was nearly normal again and she had begun to make subtle movements beneath him.

Michael left the scar he had been concentrating on and allowed his focus to return to Sara and how he could bring her pleasure. He raised his head so that he could look at her. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were well kissed. He met her eyes and could see the same passion he felt mirrored in them. Michael was just about to act on his thoughts but Sara beat him to it. Her hands came up and cupped his head, pulling his lips down to hers. This kiss was raw and full of passion and he met her eagerly.

It didn't take long for their hands to begin roaming. There was an urgency. They needed to get as close as possible, as quickly as possible. Sara could feel Michael's erection pressing against her. Her breath was coming quickly now and so was his. She wanted him inside her. She pulled back and placed her hands on either side of Michael's face. He stopped and looked down at her, his face full of concern. Sara closed her eyes. She had to make an effort to form the words. When she opened her eyes again, she simple whispered, "Michael. Please." When he just continued to look at her she reached down and took him in her hand. She herd him suck in his breath at her touch. Now that she had his full attention she tried again, "I want to feel you inside me."

Michael had thought something was wrong when Sara had stopped their frantic explorations of each other but hearing her declaration, his desire for her went up although he hadn't thought that was possible. He leaned in and gave her a hard kiss. Then he reached down and replacing her hand with his own, he positioned himself between her legs. It had been a long time for both of them and the wait was now over.

When he entered her, Sara gasped. At first he though he had hurt her, but when he met her eyes they told him differently. Pleasure filled her face and she reached out to him. He leaned down and met her. Then he began to move. It wasn't long until she began to move with him, picking up the pace. He knew she was close again and so was he. Michael found her lips and with his tongue mimicked his trusts. He heard her breath hitch and felt the moment she reached her climax. He swallowed her high-pitched moans and joined her as he found his release.


	12. Chapter 12

Michael was lying on his back with Sara in his arms, her head rested on his shoulder. He rubbed his figures up and down her arm deep in thought. He could still feel the moisture on her skin from their previous activities. Nothing in his past relationships had prepared Michael for what he had felt when they had made love, what he was feeling now. He had known it would be different with Sara, but he hadn't been prepared for this. He closed his eyes and let his senses take in every detail of her beside him.

"Michael?"

She had said his name so quietly he almost missed it. "Hum?"

Sara began to stir. She started to raise herself up, creating a small space between them. The air hit his flesh and he tried to pull her back down. She resisted his tug and placed her hand on his chest to anchor herself. Reluctantly he accepted her new position. She was facing him now. Her look was too serious in his opinion for their current situation. "Sara what's wrong?" concern in his voice.

She shook her head, "Nothings wrong." He could see she was taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "Michael, earlier. Just before LJ called, you said you wanted to ask me something. What did you want to ask me?"

Michael had continued to run his hand over Sara's back but his hand stilled at her words. What was he going to say? This isn't how he had wanted to ask her. This isn't how he'd planned it.

When Michael didn't immediately answer, Sara began to worry. "Michael," she said with a little more surety to her voice. "Whatever it is just ask me." With a smile in her voice, "I seriously doubt that whatever it is, is as bad as what we have been through in the past."

At this she had Michael's full attention. She thought he wanted to ask her something bad? She was right though; with all they had been through the last two years expecting something bad wouldn't be out of the question. As much as he had planned to ask her in a more staged setting, it could be worse. So he closed his eyes and decided to go for it. "I need my pants."

What? At first Sara had thought she had miss heard him, but from the look on his face she hadn't. Well, ok. Sara reluctantly rolled over and reached down beside her bed where their clothes had been discarded and grabbed his pants. She rolled back over to face him and held them out to him. Instead of taking them from her though he just said, "right pocket." Not quite sure what was going on she reached into his pocked and felt a small box. She pulled it out and gave it closer inspection. She stilled. Her eyes went to meet Michael's.

He reached out and took the hand holding the small velvet box in his. "Sara, I had had this all planned. We were going to go for a walk on the beach after dinner but then…" he gave a little sigh. Michael raised himself to a sitting position and waited until she met his eyes again. "Sara Tancredi, will you marry me?"

When he spoke the words, Sara's eyes filled with tears. This was more than she had expected. Michael's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Sara?"

She refocused her eyes on his and reached her free hand up to cup his face, "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, Michael Scofield, I will marry you." She leaned in and sealed the promised with a kiss.

The kiss was brief but full of meaning. He reached down, removed the box from her hands and opened it to reveal a simple yet elegant engagement ring. Michael removed it from its box and placed it on her finger.

She looked down at the new addition to her hand. It fit perfectly. Sara had no idea how he had managed to find out her ring size but he had. With a last glance at the ring, Sara gave her full attention back to Michael. She leaned in and brought her lips up to meet his. It was a chaste kiss at first; full of love, but it didn't take long for need to overtake them again. Michael laid Sara back on the bed and they lost themselves in each other once more.


	13. Chapter 13

Michael slowly came awake. He felt very relaxed and didn't really want to wake up. Although his eyes remained shut, he could feel the sunlight on his closed lids. Reluctantly he reached over to check the clock on his bedside table. When his hand found nothing but air, he forced his eyes opened and realized this was not his bed. Michael sat up quickly and looked around taking in his surroundings.

It was then that he heard the shower going in the other room. He relaxed and leaned back against the headboard. He closed his eyes again and allowed the sensations of the previous night to come flooding back to him. He had spent the night with Sara. Opening his eyes again they fell on his discarded pants that were now lying at the end of the bed. He hadn't dreamed it then. He had really asked her to marry him and she'd said yes. He had felt the warmth of her love last night and it was still vibrating through him this morning. His gaze drifted over to the closed bathroom door. With a last glance at their discarded clothes from last night, he tossed the covers aside and went to see if she needed any help in the shower.

~

Michael and Sara finished their shower together and after getting dressed, made their way to Sara's kitchen to find some breakfast. Both were rather hungry so Sara pulled out eggs and bacon from the refrigerator. They worked side by side and Sara enjoyed his presence.

They took their time with their meal and enjoyed each other's company. They were cleaning up when Sara glanced at the clock on the wall. Eleven thirty.

Michael turned from loading a plate into the dishwasher and noticed the tension in Sara's features. Concerned he asked, "Everything alright?"

Sara went back into motion and finished clearing the table as she spoke. "Yes. Everything is fine. I just didn't realize how late it was." Sara smiled and then as the memory of why it was so late came back to her, she blushed.

"Do you want me to leave?" Michael asked.

"No," she rushed to say. "I mean…I don't want you to leave Michael. It's just…" Sara sighed. "I'm supposed to meet Katie for lunch in a half hour. I can call and cancel."

Michael's eyes left hers as he looked down at the floor. Katie was another part of Sara's life he had messed up. They had been best friends when Sara had worked at Fox River. When Michael had been sent back, he had seen Nurse Katie during his re-entry examination. She had been…well for lack of a better word, cold. He understood why. In her mind, he had destroyed her friend's life. Since he was no longer going to the infirmary everyday for shots, he rarely saw Katie after that for the eighteen months he had been locked away.

He knew Sara had ran into her one day in the prison parking lot after she had visited him and that they had been trying to rebuild their friendship ever since. He also knew that he was a subject they tended to avoid.

Michael brought his eyes back up to meet hers and closed the distance between them. "No. Don't cancel," He allowed a small sparkle to light his eyes and a small smile played at his lips. "I was supposed to meet Linc and help him with some home repairs today anyway."

Sara wasn't fooled for a moment. She had seen the guilt that had rushed over him the minute she had mentioned her lunch with Katie. "Michael it isn't a big deal. I can call her and cancel. We can get together next Saturday."

"No," Michael said firmly and then he softened, "Please go. Besides, I have been busy with my new job the last two weeks and it will be nice to spend some quality time with my brother."

"Ok. If your sure."

Michael gave her one of his award winning smiles. "I am." He took this moment to lean in and brush his lips against hers reminding her of everything they had done since walking into her apartment last night. He pulled back and reached up to move a piece of her hair that had fallen back behind her ear. "Do you want me to pick you up tonight?"

After he had moved the out of place hair, Michael's hand had remained on her face. She leaned into his touch and briefly closed her eyes. "No, that's ok. I can drive myself tonight since you will already be there anyway." Sara turned her head toward his hand and placed a small kiss on the inside of his palm. "I'll see you tonight?" It was both a promise and a question. Sara had spend so many nights lying in bed by herself and she was determined that would be a problem she was not going to face again anytime soon.  
Michael understood and nodded his agreement. They finished in the kitchen and quickly made their way out of the apartment. With a final goodbye at Michael's car, they went their separate ways.


	14. Chapter 14

Sara arrived at the restaurant with five minutes to spare. She found a table close to the window and waited for her friend. She and Katie had been slowly trying to rebuild their friendship over the last year. It hadn't been easy. After visiting Sara in the hospital right after the escape, they hadn't spoken. Katie had went back to work at Fox River and Sara had jumped bail and went on the run with Michael and Lincoln.

When they'd all returned to the States, she had thought about trying to get in touch with Katie again but wasn't quite sure how to go about it. Then walking out of the prison after a visit with Michael she had ran into her coming back from lunch.

Katie did a double take. It couldn't be, but she knew that her eyes were not deceiving her. It was Sara. But why was she here? Sara spotted her then and she stopped walking. They both stared at each other for a minute but Sara was the first to recover. She closed the distance between them.

"Hello Katie. How have you been?"

"I've been fine, and you?"

"I'm good, thanks."

Katie had to ask, "So what brings you to Fox River?" As soon as she saw Sara begin to pull at the sleeves of her jacket, she knew the answer. Before Sara could form the words, Katie voiced her suspicion, "You're here to see Michael Scofield."

It was a statement not a question, Sara knew. "Yes. I was here to see Michael."

The look of utter disappointment filled Katie's eyes and she began to shack her head. "Sara I thought after the first time that con fooled you, you would have learned your lesson. What kind of a hold does that man have over you?"

Sara couldn't blame her friend. The last time they had spoken Sara had been sure Michael hadn't really cared about her. That he had just used her as a means to an end. Sara took a deep breath and offered what she could, "It's a long story Katie. A really long story, but if your willing…I will share it with you."

Katie just looked at her and then said, "Look Sara, I have to get inside or I am going to be late." Katie began to move toward the staff entrance but turned just outside the gate. "How about lunch? Saturday?"

Sara was so grateful her friend was willing that she didn't hesitate, "Saturday sounds great. Twelve o'clock at Benny's?

Katie just nodded and made her way inside.  
After the lunch they had shared that week, the lunches had continued. On the Saturday's when both of them were free from work, they would meet. However after that first meeting when Sara had tried to explain her feelings for Michael and their situation, it had become a silent agreement to ban him from their conversations.

Sara saw her friend enter the restaurant and waived her over. Katie took a seat and the waiter came over to get her drink order. Once the waiter moved away, Katie took a long look at her friend and it was then she noticed the ring on her left hand. "Sara, is there something you want to tell me?"

Sara had been in the middle of taking a drink of her water when Katie had spoken. After swallowing, she sat her glass down and braced herself for the reaction she knew was coming. "Michael asked me to marry him last night."

Katie kept her voice and her face expressionless. "And it looks as though you said yes."

"Yes. I did." Sara knew she needed to say more here. "Katie I know you don't approve of my relationship with Michael, but you don't know him like I do. I love him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him." Sara stopped to brace herself before she said, "Will you at least spend some time with him Katie and try to get to know him a little. We are getting married and I would really like for you to be there."

Katie had been silent through this and before she could say anything in response the waiter brought her drink. They both ordered their lunch and she waited until he left their table again before saying anything. "Your right."

"What?" Sara said a little shocked. "What do you mean I'm right?"

"I mean I agree with you." Katie took a sip of her drink and resumed as if there had been no interruption. "I don't know if I will ever agree with your decision Sara, but it is your life and you've chosen to make him part of it. I know you well enough to realize that your feelings for him are real. Whatever else I feel about what happened is irrelevant at this point. So, when do you think I will be able to meet the real Michael Scofield?"

Sara didn't know what to say. She had expected to get an ear full from her friend and instead had gotten a peace offering. She reached out her hand and grasped Katie's across the table. "Thank you."

Katie smiled. "It looks like our food is here."

Sara returned the smile and they dug in.


	15. Chapter 15

Michael had arrived at Lincoln's just after noon. He could tell the minute Mikey had stepped inside the house that his date had went well. The look on his brother's face was one of contentment, something that had been rare since the whole mess with The Company had started.

He hadn't been expecting Michael to stop by but was glad for the help repairing the sink in the guest room that had decided to stop working last week. That was an hour ago and now they were elbows deep in pluming. Since neither of them were plumbers, it had been an interesting hour. It hadn't helped that the temperature had now risen to over eighty degrees and what felt like one hundred percent humidity inside the small bathroom. Michael had gone into the other room to get some water for the both of them. As Lincoln heard his brother return, he slid himself out from under the sink.

Michael crouched down in the doorway and handed the glass of ice water to his brother. Since they were alone, both brothers had shed their shirts for comfort.

Linc was finishing off the water Mike had handed him when he noticed Michael's was pretty much untouched. He recognized that look on his brother's face. Michael wanted to tell him something and was trying to figure out what he wanted to say. "Spit it out Mikey." Michael's head shot up. "Whatever it is just tell me."

Michael took a drink of the water he had been holding and swallowed. "I asked her to marry me Linc."

A smile spread across Lincoln's features, "And?" The smile that broke out on Michael's face told Lincoln all he needed to know. "She said yes, did she? Congratulations man."

"Thanks," Michael replied sheepishly and took another drink.

Lincoln laid his empty cup on the floor and rested his arms on his knees. "So when's the wedding?"

Michael turned in the doorway and rested his back against the jam. "I don't know. We haven't really talked about it yet." He paused, "And there is the fact that I need to complete my divorce from Nika first."

This got Lincoln's attention. "I thought that was a done deal Mikey?"

Michael reached up and rubbed his head with his hand and then let his head fall back against the jam with a thud. "So did I, but when I stopped by home to change before heading over I had a message from my lawyer. He said she's contesting it."

When Michael had mentioned having to stop by home to change another smile had started to tug at Lincoln's lips but it quickly died with this last bit of information. A confused look on his face, Lincoln asked the only question he could, "Why would she do that?"

"I have no idea Linc. I wish I knew. I'm supposed to met with my lawyers and hers next week to find out."

Lincoln had to ask. "Does Sara know?"

"She knows that the divorce papers have been filed."

"And?"

"And that's it Linc. I haven't told her about Nika fighting it. She had a lunch appointment with Katie today. And besides what would be the point until I know something?"

Lincoln looked at his brother and just shook his head. "Michael I could think of a million reasons why not telling her would be a bad idea but I will give you one. She's going to be your wife and after all you have been through together I think the least she deserves from you is the whole truth."

As much as Michael didn't want to hear it, he knew his brother was probably right. Sara deserved to know. Michael turned to his brother and nodded.

With that Lincoln handed Michael his empty glass and settled himself back on the floor. "We'd better get back to work if this is going to be done by dinner." Michael set the empty glasses out in the hall and they both got back to work.


	16. Chapter 16

Dad?

"Were in here LJ." Lincoln shouted.

LJ followed his father's voice to the guest bathroom where he found his dad and uncle sitting on the floor. "Hey Uncle Mike," but LJ didn't wait for his uncle to respond back with a greeting of his own. Instead he said, "Dad, could I talk to you a minute?"

Lincoln stopped what he was doing and handed the wrench over to Michael. "Yea, sure. We were just finishing. I think your uncle can handle tightening a pipe by himself."

The small jest was not lost on Michael and he smiled, "I think I can manage."

With that, Lincoln grabbed a towel to wipe the grime off his hands and followed LJ into the living room. He could tell his son was nervous. "So what did you want to talk to me about son?"

At first, Lincoln didn't think he way going to answer. He was just about to ask a second time when LJ finally spoke. "I've invited Jessica to join us tonight."

Jessica was LJ's girlfriend. They had been dating for about a month now according to LJ but Linc hadn't met her yet. It appeared tonight was going to be it. This was a big step for his son. Since they had been back and their lives had gotten back to that of normal people, LJ hadn't brought a girl home. Oh he had dated but no one had ever been important enough to introduce to the family. "You must really like this girl."

A small smile broke LJ's face. "Yea, I do."

Lincoln walked over and put a hand on his son's shoulder, "Well ok then." Taking a step back he turned to head back into the bathroom. He paused at the door. "How much does she know?"

LJ had known this would be coming. It was hard to avoid with his family. "Not much. She grew up outside of Boston so the coverage was…less."

Lincoln turned back to face his son. "I hope you know what you are doing LJ. You should have told her." With that he turned back around and made his way back to the bathroom and Michael.

~

Sara arrived back at her apartment about two thirty. She and Katie had ended up having a very nice lunch. After a few more questions from Katie about Michael, they had been able to settle into a comfortable conversation.  
Sara had even remembered to stop by the restaurant and give their waiter and extra twenty-dollar tip. It had been quite comical. The look on the maitre d's face as she walked in not properly attired was priceless. It was only after she had explained why she was there and that she and her fiancé had dined their last evening had he relaxed and taken the envelope holding the money and a small note of thanks from her.

Fiancé. Speaking to the maitre d' was the first time she had used the term. It was still something she was getting used to. Sara walked into the living room and set down her keys, then headed into the kitchen to unload the dishwasher. She was actually getting married.

With the dishes finished she realized she had some time to kill. She didn't have to be over to Lincoln's until six thirty and it was only now approaching three. Sara walked back out into her living room and took a look around. Well she hadn't given her apartment a good cleaning in a while and she could get a lot done in the three hours she had. With that she headed off to round up her cleaning supplies.


	17. Chapter 17

Cleaning took a little longer than she had anticipated. Of course that was probably because once she had gotten to the bedroom, the pace had slowed considerably. Making the bed had taken at least twenty minutes. She had debated whether or not to change the sheets but then she had picked up the pillow Michael had used last night and his scent brought everything back to her in vivid detail.

Once the bedroom had finally been put in order she had moved on to the bathroom. Their towels from this morning still lay on the floor. Sara picked them up and sat down on the edge of the tub. Closing her eyes she let the images from this morning fill her senses.

She hadn't heard him enter. It was only when the shower curtain opened and she saw him step into the shower with her that she realized he was awake. As they stood there looking at one another, Sara felt more nervous than she had last night. There were no shadows to hide in here.

Michael reached out his hand and took the soap from her. He motioned for her to turn around and began slowly washing her back. His hands felt wonderful and all the nerves left her. Once her back was finished, he reached around and began on the front. Although his fingers left their mark everywhere, they didn't linger. When he finished washing her, she took the bar of soap from his fingers and did the same for him.

They both rinsed and Sara turned off the water. She stepped out of the shower and Michael followed. He grabbed the towel she had hanging nearby and began to dry her off. Although his motions were chaste, they were making her temperature rise all the same. Once he was satisfied, he quickly dried himself with another nearby towel that was clearly not big enough for him. She had been about to offer to get him a bigger towel when he tossed the one he had onto the floor beside him after barely using it.

He closed the distance between them then. Her skin touched his and she could feel her heart beat faster. Raising her arms, she placed them around his neck. Reaching up on her tiptoes she brought her lips up to meet his. The moment their lips touched all thought disappeared. The hands that had been gripping her hips now moved to encircle her, holding her tight.

Michael moved so quickly it startled her. He reached down and picked her up, carrying her out of the bathroom and onto the bed. The temperature difference between the two rooms gave her goose bumps and made her nipples more sensitive than they already were.

Michael laid her back on the bed. In the light of the morning, he started from the top and worked his way down. His fingers brushed her newly washed hair from away from her face. He placed a kiss on each of her closed eyes and the tip of her nose. Then he worked his way down the side of her face and let his lips linger at her neck. She knew he had picked up last night that this was a very sensitive area for her and she could feel him smile when he allowed the suction of his lips to linger there and she had let out of small gasp.

As he continued his exploration, her body continued to respond. She had tried to reach for him. Wanting to feel him as well but he wouldn't allow it. When she had tried to say something about this not being fair, he had told her "all in good time." She had been too distracted to understand what that meant at the time and since his mouth had went back to its distractions she couldn't find the energy to argue it out with him.

But true to his word once he reached her toes, he came up to lie beside her. At this point she was having trouble with any logical thought so it took her a moment to realize that he had stopped his ministrations completely. She rolled toward him. It was then she realized how much what he done to her had affected him. He reached for her hand and placed it on his chest. "Your turn," he whispered.

After a few seconds, she got his meaning so she followed his example. She could never match Michael's attention to detail but she could give it her best shot. And she did. He had lain perfectly still for her explorations although she could tell from his face it was taking an extreme effort.

When she crawled back up to face him again he pulled her to him and crushed her lips to his. It was at that moment polite exploration ended and frantic passion began. Michael's hands reached between her legs and made sure she was ready for him. With one hand on her hip he guided her onto him.

She allowed herself to sink down and felt him fill her. She began to move. His hand remained on her hip and helped to guide their movement. As her breathing became heavier, Michael reached down with his other hand to where they were joined.

Sara's head fell back as her muscles contracted around him and with one last thrust Michael followed her.

Sara collapsed on top of Michael and he wrapped his arms around her holding her close. As they came down from their high, he pushed Sara's hair back behind her ear and whispered "I love you."

Pulling herself back to the present, Sara knew she had to get moving if she wanted to make it to make it to Lincoln's on time so she made herself get up and finished what she'd started.

~

Sara arrived at the Burrow's house fifteen minutes late. Before she reached the door it opened and LJ closed the short distance between then to help her carry the chips she had bought for tonight. "I'm glad you made it Sara. Dad was getting a little worried."

Sara smiled. LJ had inherited the same over protective streak as his father and uncle. Lincoln might have been worried about her being late, but so had LJ. As they walked in the door she said, "I decided to do some cleaning this afternoon and it took a little longer than expected."

LJ set the chips on the table for later. "Well you're here now so that's good."

Until now Sara hadn't notice the young woman sitting on the sofa. LJ rushed over to the young lady and she stood. "Sara I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Jessica. Jessica this is Sara."

Sara extended her hand, "Nice to meet you Jessica."

"You too. LJ tells me you are a doctor."

"That's right."

"LJ?" Lincoln's voice came from the kitchen. "Can you come help me with the drinks for a minute?"

"Yea. Sure, dad. If you would excuse me ladies," and LJ went off to help his father.

Sara could hardly contain the laughter that was bubbling up. If you would excuse me ladies? She had known LJ for almost two years now and never had he talked like that so she knew it must be for Jessica's benefit. To keep from laughing she turned her attention back to Jessica. "So how long have you known LJ?

"We met about two months ago in a writing class. We've been dating a little over a month."

LJ and Lincoln came out of the kitchen each carrying and armload of sodas. Sara noticed Michael wasn't with them, "Where's Michael?"

"He went to go pick up the pizza." Lincoln looked down at this watch. "It was supposed to be ready five minutes ago so he should be back any minute."

It was then they heard a car door slam. Their pizza had arrived.

~

Michael carried the pizza's into the house and made his way over to the table. Everyone converged and began to dig in. With his hands free Michael reached down and gave Sara's hand a little squeeze, she returned the hello and they joined the rest of the group in piling pizza on their plates.

Since there was a guest tonight they decided to eat their pizza around the table. The couples set beside each other while Lincoln took the end. It wasn't long until the conversation turned to Jessica and her family. She told them about growing up just outside of Boston. She had lived their all her life but had decided she wanted to go out west for college. Her parents had thought Chicago was far enough.

They had just finished polishing off the pizza when Jessica directed a question to Michael. "LJ tells me you are a structural engineer." She glanced at LJ and smiled, "Actually I believe the term was brilliant structural engineer."

"Well I don't know about the brilliant part, but the structural engineer is accurate."

"My uncle is an engineer back in Boston. What firm?"

"Briggs Associates."

"Their here in Chicago?"

"Yes. They're a small firm. Your uncle's probably never heard of them."

This didn't seem to bother Jessica. "You never know. Have you worked there long?"

Michael paused before he answered this question. He wasn't sure he liked where this conversation was going or how much LJ had told this girl. "Two weeks."

"Oh wow. Do you like it better than where you were before?"

Now Michael noticed he wasn't the only one who was beginning to not like the direction of this conversation but he wasn't quite sure how to derail it and no one else seemed to be speaking up. So he decided vague was best, "Yes, you could say that," and hoped she wouldn't pursue it.

Of course that was wishful thinking. "So where were you before?"

All eyes except Jessica's went to LJ but LJ wasn't looking at any of them. His eyes were fixed to his empty plate. Jessica realized Michael wasn't answering her and she looked around. All eyes, including the man she had been having this conversation with were on LJ. "LJ? What's going on?"

When he finally raised his head he was looking at Michael. He didn't say anything, just shook his head no. Michael was trying to figure out what he could say since this girl clearly knew nothing of the family's past when he heard Lincoln say, "Prison."

Simple and to the point, but it had effect nonetheless. Color drained from her face as she focused on Michael once again. He knew that look. She was trying to place him inside that place.

All of a sudden Jessica pushed her chair back and stood. It took LJ a second but once he realized she was making to leave he stood too. He put his hand on her arm, "Jess?"  
She briefly looked down at the hand touching her arm and shook her head. "I'm sorry LJ. I…I just need to…" She never finished.

In a trance, she just headed for the door.


	18. Chapter 18

LJ didn't know what to do. Should he go after her? Before he could decide, Sara stood. "Let me talk to her." LJ just nodded and remained where he was.

Sara found Jessica sitting with her head in her lap on the front steps. Sitting down beside her, Jessica glanced up to see who had joined her. It was clear, to Sara, she had been crying. Jessica reached up to wipe the moister from her cheeks. "I thought you would be LJ."

Sara gave her a little smile. "I thought you might like some non male company." She felt for this girl. She had been in her shoes once. Loving a member of this family didn't always mean life was easy but she had found the benefits far out weighted the cost.

Jessica raised her head and looked at something far in the distance. Sara decided it was now or never, "Did LJ tell you anything about his family?"

Jessica took a deep breath and continued looking straight ahead. "He told me his dad was framed for a crime he didn't commit and that his uncle helped him clear his name." She paused a moment and then said, "Obviously that was a lie."

Well, Sara thought. At least he'd told her something. That's somewhere to start. "Actually that isn't entirely wrong, albeit a little vague." Jessica turned her head and gave her a skeptical look. "I'll give you the short version, how about that?" Jessica nodded so Sara continued. "What LJ told you was true. Michael did try to clear Lincoln but he wasn't able to find any legal way to do it so…" Sara paused and took a deep breath before she continued. "Michael found a way to get himself sent to prison and he broke his brother, LJ's father, out."

Sara could see she had Jessica's full attention now. She had stopped looking out at some obscure object in front of her and was now completely focused on Sara. "Lincoln and Michael went on the run and LJ was framed, my the same people who framed his father." She paused again. "I told you I would make this short. The short version is the charges against LJ were dropped and one of the people who had framed Lincoln came forward, so those charges were dropped as well. Michael, however, wasn't as lucky. They weren't satisfied with just letting him go after everything so he was made to serve another eighteen months. He was released three months ago."

When Sara finished, Jessica turned to face front again. Just when Sara thought she wasn't going to respond Jessica whispered, "I just don't know." Jessica's eyes were pleading with Sara. "He talks about his family all the time. Why didn't he tell me?"

"I can't answer that." Sara knew this wasn't much help so she added, "There is something else you should know." Jessica looked like she was bracing herself for another bombshell. "I've known LJ for almost two years now. You are the first girl he has brought home to meet us."

Jessica began shaking her head. "That doesn't mean anything though."

Sara reached out and placed her hand on Jessica's arm. She waited until the young woman was looking at her again. "I think it does. LJ has dated other girls. He's told me about some of them." Sara took another deep breath before she continued. "One of the things you will find with Michael, Lincoln, and LJ is that family is everything to them. The fact that LJ brought you home to meet his dad and his uncle means something."

Jessica shook her head again. "I just don't know."

"I understand." Sara said. "Just promise me you will think about it before you make any decisions?" Jessica nodded. "Would you like to go back inside?"

Jessica thought for a minute. "I think I should go back to the dorm. I just don't think I can go in there again."

It was Sara's turn to nod this time. "Would you like me to go get LJ?"

Jessica stood and Sara followed. "No. Just tell him…just tell him I'll talk to him on Monday."

With that Jessica walked down the steps and headed to her car. Sara made her way back inside.

~

After going back inside, Sara gave everyone the short version of what had transpired between her and Jessica. Finding out Jessica had left, LJ retreated to his room and Sara headed home. Michael stayed to help his brother clean up and promised to come by Sara's apartment once he was finished. She'd just nodded and made her way out the door.

Now that he was on his way to her apartment he was having second thoughts. He knew this morning they both had agreed he would come over again tonight, but did she still want that? He didn't know. She had looked defeated when she left, but there was something else. He couldn't quite put his finger on it at the time but now that he thought about it, she looked angry.

Michael parked his car and grabbed the overnight bag from the trunk he had put together before leaving for Lincoln's. He had wanted to have a change of clothes for in the morning so he wouldn't have to wear his old ones again as he had this morning. Now he wasn't so sure if he would need them or not. He grabbed them anyway just in case and made his way up to Sara.

~

She had arrived home ten minutes ago and her anger was not subsiding. In fact, it was getting worse. How could LJ do that? He was so much like his father and his uncle. Why did these men think it was ok to keep important information from the ones they cared about? And for that matter, from the ones that clearly cared about them. Sara was sure Jessica had deep feelings for LJ. The fact that she had taken the news so hard was evidence of that.

Sara was pacing her living room when she heard the knock on her door. She knew it had to be Michael but checked the peephole just to be sure. Those months on the run when people were trying to kill her had taught her to be extra cautious. Seeing his form on the other side of her door, she flipped the locks and let him in.

Michael saw that the look in Sara's eyes hadn't changed. And now he was sure that what he had seen before at Lincoln's was anger. Once he had stepped inside, she left him at the door and walked over to the window. The tension in her was obvious. He wasn't sure what he could do to help her since he really wasn't sure why she was so angry. He knew she had been upset but he hadn't expected this. He set down his bag and started to move towards her when she began to speak. "Why didn't LJ tell her? Why did he let her find out like that?"

Her talk with Jessica must have bothered her more than he realized. "I don't know. I guess he was probably afraid of how she would react." He knew it wasn't much but it was all he had.

Sara turned around sharply. "Is that why you did it Michael?"

Her attack took him off guard. "What are you talking about?"

"In Fox River, when you only told me part of your plan. Was it because you were unsure of how I would react? Or was it because you knew how I would react?"

Michael stuffed both hands in his pockets and fixed his eyes on the floor in front of him. He thought they'd moved past this. "I'm sorry Sara." When it was clear that wasn't good enough he said, "I was afraid. Afraid of how you might react, yes, but I was also afraid you might have talked me out of it." Michael looked back up and met her eyes. "I knew I had to get my brother out of there and I was already feeling guilty knowing what the cost was going to be, had been already. I couldn't hear you put into words the thoughts that were already swimming in my head." Her expression softened a little and he was glad.

"That still doesn't answer why LJ didn't tell her."

He was glad they were back to LJ again. It was safer territory. " I don't know why he didn't tell her, but if I had to guess… He really seems to like this girl and maybe he just kept putting it off because he was afraid he would lose her." Once Michael put it into words he realized how much alike he and his nephew really were.

When Sara didn't respond, Michael took a step forward. "Do you want me to go?"

Sara's head jerked up. He wanted to leave? She walked to stand in front of him. "Michael Scofield, you're just going to leave me like this?"

He didn't know what to say. Did she want him to stay? "I didn't mean…" But before he could get anything else out, Sara's mouth cut him off. Her hands gripped his shirt and she was holding on to him for dear life. Her mouth was hard and angry at first. She was pouring all her frustrations into the kiss. It didn't matter. His body still responded to her.

He opened his mouth to give her tongue access, which she immediately took. His hands grabbed her hips and pulled her against him. Her hands moved down and pulled his shirt from his jeans. When her hands touched his skin, he sucked in his breath and pulled her closer. Her hands inched up his chest but his shirt was getting in the way. He ripped himself away and pulled his shirt over his head. Before he was able to get it off his arms she was back. Her lips had found his chest and he quickly finished his task before coming back to rest his hands on her shoulders and in her hair.

Sara made her way down his torso. When met with his jeans she looked up briefly and met his heavy lidded eyes. The anger he had seen before was now gone. A smile now played across her face and then she turned back to what she was doing. With one last kiss to the skin just above his jeans, she set her hands to removing the clothing that was in her way.

She slid his jeans down his legs and he stepped out of them. He had barely gotten his feet back on the floor when he felt her hand wrap around him. He nearly lost it. Then her mouth was on him. He closed his eyes and his hands held her head in place.

Her mouth felt so good. Too good. He had to get her to stop. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Sara." She looked up at him but didn't stop. He closed his eyes and tried again. "Sara. Please. I…I want this to last but…if you don't stop soon…it won't." He was amazed he had been able to get that out.

With one last lick Sara pulled herself away and stood up. It was then he noticed that she was still completely clothed. He reached out to start to even out the situation when she stepped away from him. At first he was a little confused, but then she held out her hand. He took it and followed her into the bedroom.

She stopped beside the bed and placed her hands on his shoulders indicating she wanted him to sit down. Once he was seated, Sara took a step back and began removing her top. Every move she made was slow and deliberate. She was teasing him and he loved it. He sat still and just watched as she removed her top, her jeans, and even her bra. It wasn't until only her panties remained that he reached out and pulled her too him. She didn't fight it. His thumbs slipped inside the sides of her panties and slid them down her legs.

She stood before him without a shred of clothing and he waited to see what she would do next. He didn't have to wait long. She climbed onto his lap facing him, her legs bracketing his hips. She didn't hesitate. Sara reached down between them and found what she was aiming for and sat down taking him in one fluid motion.

His hands found her hips and braced himself for the pace she had set. Her head was throne back and her eyes where closed. Her lips were slightly open and he could hear little whispered moans escaping. He could tell she was close. He reached down with his mouth and found one of her nipples. He was rewarded when he heard her suck in her breath. He shifted slightly so he could sink deeper inside of her and his other hand made its way to where they were connected. He felt her wetness between his fingers. Michael gave a hard suck to her nipple and felt her muscles contract around him and a high pitched moan escape her lips.

The sight of her pleasure was his undoing. As he thrust deep one last time, her name left his lips as he exploded inside her.


	19. Chapter 19

Sara woke the next morning and found herself alone in bed. She rolled over onto her back staring up at the ceiling. She could hear Michael in the shower and knew she should go to him. She owed him an apology for last night. She'd been so angry with LJ and she'd taken it out on him.

Although it hadn't all been bad. A smile found Sara's face as she remembered what had happed last night. In fact, it had been quite good. She had been so angry when she'd started kissing Michael. Angry at LJ and angry that Michael would want to go home and not stay the night with her.

That thought brought her up short. There was something else she and Michael needed to talk about. They'd been together for two nights now and the subject of protection hadn't come up. She was on the pill but he didn't know that. At least she didn't think he did. And knowing Michael when the thought did hit him, he would be overcome by that huge guilt complex of his.

Deciding to forgo her shower for now, she pulled on some sweats and a t-shirt and made her way to the kitchen to start breakfast.

~

Michael stepped out of the shower and grabbed his bag from the floor. Finding his razor he began to shave and his thoughts returned to last night. He hadn't seen Sara that angry in a long time. He'd been amazed that she'd wanted him to stay. He'd defiantly not expected her to…well do what she did. Not that he had minded. "Ouch." If he didn't want to have his face scared for life he needed pay attention to what he was doing.

Shaving complete, he brushed his teeth and pulled out his clothes. He sat down on the toilet to put on his socks and glanced over at his bag. His eyes fell on something blue. He reached inside to see what it was. It was a condom. This was an old bag, one he'd gotten out of storage from his old life. He flipped it over and saw that it had expired six months ago. A smile lit his lips and then fell. They hadn't used anything. Four times and they hadn't used anything. How could he have been so careless? He was always so good at planning how did he miss this? Michael hurried to finish and made his way out of the bathroom to find Sara.

She wasn't in the bedroom were he'd left her this morning so he went to check the rest of the apartment. He found her at the counter putting what looked like blueberry pancakes on a plate.

Sara heard him come in. "About time, Scofield. I thought I was going to have to come fish you out." She turned to face him a plate of pancakes in each hand, but when she saw his face she set the plates down on the table and walked over to him.

Michael laid the expired protection down on the counter. "I'm sorry Sara." She could see he was beating himself up over this. "I should have been prepared. I should have protected you."

Sara placed her hand on his arm. "Michael its all right. I'm on the pill. Were safe."

He relaxed. She had been prepared. "When did you…Why didn't you say something?"

She gestured for him to take a seat and took her own on the other side of the table. He followed. She waited until they started eating to respond. "I didn't." This brought his head up. "I mean…I've been on the pill for a while. But to be honest, I hadn't thought about…protection either until this morning."

Now he felt bad again. What if she hadn't been on the pill? He did hope they would have children one day but he was hoping it was after he and his parole officer were not on regular speaking terms. "Sara, if…"

Sara cut him off. "If something would have happened…" She paused and caught his eye. "Would that have been such a bad thing?"

"No," he said quickly. "No. It's just I was hoping to…to put a few years between me and…prison before we…started our family."

Sara smiled. She wanted children with Michael. He would be such a great father. "Agreed." Sara turned her attention back to her food. "Now eat up Scofield. I have to be at my NA meeting in an hour."


	20. Chapter 20

They'd been working in opposite wings of the hospital Monday morning so they'd only seen each other long enough to agree to meet for lunch in the cafeteria.

By the time Mary made it downstairs, Sara had already found a table. "Let me go get something and I'll be right back," Mary said. "And then I want to hear all about your weekend."

Mary rushed off to find some decent grub and quickly returned with a turkey sandwich and a salad. She sat down and picked up her sandwich. When Sara didn't immediately start talking,"Am I going to have to beg or do I get some details?"

Sara smiled at her friend. "And what kind of details would you like?"

"As many as you are willing to give me."

Sara picked up her own sandwich and took a bite. Then picked up her soda and took a sip. By the look on her friend's face she'd stalled long enough so she sat her drink down and began recapping the events of Friday evening.

Mary had been listening intently. The restaurant sounded lovely. When Sara told her that Michael had ordered the filet mignon, she noticed a goofy grin appear on her friend's face. "Am I missing something?" Sara stopped and looked questioning at Mary. "About the filet mignon, I mean. Does it mean something?"

Sara's face broke out into a huge grin. "Yes. During Michael's first week in…" Sara paused and looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot. Mary motioned that she understood so she continued, "Well, we'd already started flirting with each other a bit and he told me that when he got out of there he would take me to dinner. Two months later, while on the run, we were sitting alone in a vehicle waiting and… Well the subject came up again and I told him that anything short of a filet mignon wasn't going to cut it with me."

"Ahh. So you got your filet mignon." Mary smiled back. "I'm liking this guy more and more. So go on," Mary prodded her friend.

"Well dinner was great but we didn't get to finish desert. A reporter spotted us and made himself…well a nuisance. We ended up having to leave the restaurant before we were able to finish."

"Oh that is too bad. I know how much you wanted this big date of yours. I'm sorry it had to end on such a sour note." Mary noticed her friends smile. "So it didn't end there I take it?"

"No." Sara said. She was enjoying this. "We found ice cream and sat in the park for a while. Then we went back to my place and…well he helped me make breakfast Saturday morning."

"Oh Sara that's wonderful. I am so happy for you."

"Thanks Mary but there is one more thing."

"I know I said I wanted details Sara but I'm not that desperate."

Sara laughed. "That's good to know." Sara took the hand that had been resting on her lap and lay in on the table for Mary to see.

Mary's eyes widened, "Oh my! Sara did he…?" Sara bit her lip and nodded. "Oh that's wonderful. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Sara pulled her hand back and placed it in her lap again. She'd been wearing her ring all day. She hadn't taken it off since Michael put in on her finger Friday night, but she wasn't ready to take the comments from some of the staff that she knew would be coming just quite yet. For now she just wanted to bask in her own contentment.

Mary immediately understood. "I don't blame you. Enjoy it. They'll find out sooner or later."

With lunch finished, they headed back upstairs to see which patients needed their attentions first.

~

Michael's morning had gone well. When the alarm went off this morning, Sara had been in his arms. They had showered and eaten breakfast together before they'd both headed off to work. He loved waking up to her. It had only been three days but it felt right. He couldn't wait to repeat this morning for the rest of his life.

It wasn't until after lunch he remembered he had to call his lawyer back. The rest of the project team was in the conference room trying to figure out how to hide a support beam in the lobby of their current project so he had the office to himself. Picking up the phone, he dialed the number. The receptionist answered and put him right through.

"Hi Michael. I'm glad you called. Did you get my message?"

"Yea. I got your message. What's going on?"

"I have no idea. I was hoping you might tell me. Everything seemed to be going fine and then this. Do you have any ideas?"

"No." Michael rubbed his hand over his head deep in thought. "When do they want to meet?"

"Wednesday. Three o'clock."

That would mean he would have to make arrangements to get off early. He sighed, "Go ahead and make the appointment Frank. I'll call you back if there's a problem."

"You got it Michael. Call me if you need anything."

Frank disconnected and Michael placed the phone back in its cradle. "Everything alright?"

John was standing in the doorway. "Ugh…yea." Michael realized this was probably his best opportunity to tell John about needing to leave early. "Actually John there is something I need to talk to you about. The call…I need to go see my lawyers on Wednesday at three o'clock."

Concerned John asked, "Is everything ok with your parole? Do you need me to talk to your lawyers? I will help you if I can Michael."

"It's not that." Michael was quick to say. "I'm having a little...domestic trouble and I need to meet with my lawyers and hers to try and get it solved."

John's eyebrows rose. "Your date Friday night didn't go well I take it?"

Michael hadn't considered John would think he was talking about Sara. It seemed he needed to provide some clarification. "Before I was arrested I got married. Now I am trying to get a divorce."

"Ahh…So a different woman." John nodded as comprehension dawned. "When will you need to leave on Wednesday?"

"They're only a few blocks away so two forty-five should be fine."

"Ok." John turned to leave and then stopped. He turned back around. "How did your date go Friday night?" Michael's smile was all the answer John needed and he smiled back. "Don't forget I still want to meet this Sara."

John headed back to his office and Michael made his way back to the conference room to see how the project team was coming along in solving their current problem.


	21. Chapter 21

Wednesday morning Michael walked into the office a very happy man. Things with Sara were going great. He'd spent the night at her apartment ever since their date. She'd agreed to marry him and he was doing what he loved again. Life couldn't be better.

That was until he sat down at his desk and looked at his calendar of things to do today. And staring at him in bright red was his three o'clock appointment with his and Nika's lawyers. He'd totally forgotten about the meeting and what was worse…he still hadn't said anything to Sara.

Michael debated whether to pick up the phone and call her but it was only eight ten and she may not be up yet. Plus this wasn't really something he wanted to do over the phone. Decision made, Michael picked up the blue prints he'd been working on yesterday and tried to pick up where he'd left off. The problem was he couldn't focus. Every time he thought he might be getting somewhere his guilt would begin to surface.

Finally Michael lay the blue prints down on his desk and picked up the phone. He hadn't talked to Linc in a couple of days and it was his day off, maybe that would help to clear his head. Dialing the number he began to have second thoughts. He was ready to hang up the phone when he heard someone pick up.

"Hello?"

"LJ? What are you doing home?"

"Oh hi Uncle Mike. My morning class got canceled so I decided to stay here and help dad with some yard work." LJ paused waiting for Michael to respond. When he didn't LJ added, "Dad told me you asked Sara to marry you."

"Yea, I did."

"Good." LJ said with determination. "She's family. It's only right it should be official."

This was not making Michael feel any better right now. He closed his eyes. "Your right LJ, she is family." Trying to steer the subject in a different direction, "Is your dad around?"

"Yea, he's out back. I'll go get him." But instead of leaving the phone LJ sat in silence. "Uncle Mike?"

"Yea?"

"Could you tell Sara thank you for me? For talking to Jess."

"Sure LJ."  
Michael could hear the sigh of happiness though the phone. "Ok. Hold on and I'll get dad."

Michael's conversation with Lincoln didn't exactly go as planned. Lincoln had been able to tell right away that he was beating around the bush about something. And Linc had cornered him. After telling his brother that he hadn't told Sara about the meeting this afternoon, Lincoln quite bluntly told Michael what he thought. He could hear his brother's words over again in his mind. "Are you crazy Michael? Do you want to lose her? I thought you two agreed no more secrets?

All these thoughts kept replying in his mind. He needed to talk to Sara. And not over the phone. Michael sighed. There wasn't anything he could do until the meeting was over but as soon as it was he was going to sit down and tell her what was going on. He knew this was her future too.

~

Sara woke Wednesday morning to an empty bed. It was her day off so she'd decided to sleep in a little. She remembered Michael knelling beside the bed this morning and softly kissing her goodbye before he left.

It was strange. She had been sleeping in this bed by herself for the last twenty-one months but now, after only five days, it felt strangely empty without him. They'd talked briefly last night about him moving in. It made sense. He hadn't been back to his apartment other than to pick up new clothes since that first night. However reality had reared it's ugly head as he reminded her that he would have to clear it with his parole officer before he could officially make any move and his next appointment wasn't until Monday. Sara sighed. He had another nine months of this, parole officers and checking in. She would be glad when all of it was behind them.

Sara turned to look at the clock. 9:00 A.M. She really had slept in. Normally her shift started at seven so to her, anything past six was considered a blessing. She pushed the covers back and made her way into the bathroom for a shower.

After dressing, Sara headed for the kitchen to find some breakfast. She was debating whether or not to fix something or just go with cereal. After much debate, she decided on cereal since lunch was only a few hours away. Grabbing her bowl full of cereal she headed into the living room to see what was on TV.

When she re-entered the living room, she saw Michael's bag on the couch. She smiled. He must have come in here to get dressed so he wouldn't wake her. She sat down and picked up her spoon. Half way to her mouth an idea occurred to her. She would stop by and surprise Michael. His boss wanted to meet her anyway and they could go and have lunch. That decided, Sara settled in to eat her cereal and grabbed the remote to see what was on.

Sara walked into Briggs Associates just after noon. The front office was small and had a desk positioned directly in front of her with an open door behind. The desk, which she assumed was for the receptionist, was empty. Sara wasn't sure what to do. She was sure Michael was through the door but she didn't just want to walk in. Then she saw a man walking down the hall. "Excuse me?"

The man turned and headed towards her. He was a nice looking man, maybe in his late forties, early fifties. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

"Hi. I'm looking for Michael Scofield. Is he here?"

The man cocked his head to one side looking at her, then his face broke out into a huge grin. "You must be Sara." He stuck out his hand in greeting. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm John."

Sara politely took his hand. Then it hit her, Michael's boss. "It's very nice to meet you, John."

John released her hand. "I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. Are you here to take Michael to lunch?"

Sara looked down and the floor before coming back up to meet John's eyes. "Yes. I was hoping to surprise him. I hope that's ok."

John came around the desk and ushered her toward the door behind the desk. "Of course its ok. I can hardly get him to stop long enough most days to even eat anything, let alone leave this office to have a decent meal." John stopped in front of a room with four desks. She saw Michael sitting at the one on the right. He was deep in concentration and hadn't noticed her yet. "Michael, you have a visitor."

Michael's head snapped up from the papers he'd been studying at the sound of John's voice. Sara. What was she…?

Once Michael's eyes found Sara, John decided it was time to excuse himself. "Well have fun. It was nice meeting you Sara."

"Thanks, you too John," but her eyes hadn't left Michael.

John walked back to his office with a smile. So that's Sara.


	22. Chapter 22

Michael was fixed in his chair. Did she know about his meeting with the lawyers today? But how? Had Lincoln said something? He didn't think so. His mind went into overdrive as he tried to work over all the possible reasons for her showing up at his firm.

When Michael didn't move, Sara began walking towards him. She was getting more nervous with each step. Neither one of them had been to each others work before. Maybe he didn't want her here. Sara noticed a woman working at a desk a few feet away. The woman was trying not to be obvious but it was evident that she was curious about Michael's visitor.

As Sara reached his desk Michael snapped himself out of it and stood to greet her. "Hi."

"Hi." Giving him the best smile she could manage and did her best to hold his gaze.

Michael's mind was still swimming trying to figure out why she was here so when she said, "I was thinking since I have the day off we could have lunch together," it took a moment to register.

As his brain processed this new information he began to relax and let himself enjoy her presence a little. "That sounds like a great idea. Just let me…" Michael reached down to shut down his computer, grabbed the jacket from the back of his chair and slipped it on.

Sara turned back toward the door and Michael followed her out.

~

They sat in a café just a block from his office. Sara remembered coming here before, but it had been a while. Not since…well not since before her life changed, before Michael. They sat at a table by the window eating the sandwiches and chips they'd ordered a few minutes before. Michael was strangely silent. He hadn't murmured more than a few sentences since they'd sat down and he appeared to be deep in thought. "Michael?" He didn't answer. Instead he just kept eating his sandwich and staring at something outside the window that had caught his attention. She tried again, this time reaching out to touch his arm. "Michael." Looking down at her hand on his arm he turned towards her. His eyes were troubled although she could tell he was trying to mask it. "Something is bothering you." It wasn't a question. "Are you upset that I came to the firm without telling you?"

The look in his eyes softened a little. "No Sara." Her hand was still resting gently on his arm and he placed his over hers. "No." Picking her hand up, he brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss and then placed it back on the table.

When he didn't say anything more she prompted, "Then what is it? What's bothering you?" When she saw the rebut that was coming she quickly added, "And don't tell me nothing Michael. I know you well enough to know better."

Michael knew he needed to tell her about the appointment with the lawyers today but for some reason he just couldn't come right out and say it. So instead he decided to diverge a little. "I talked to LJ this morning. He asked me to tell you thank you for talking to Jessica."

Sara knew this was not what was bothering him but she decided to play along and see where he was going with this. "I take it she's still talking to him then?"

Michael didn't even crack a smile. "It sounded like that, yea."

"Well I guess I'm glad about that. He does deserve to be happy just like the rest of us." Sara took a bite of her sandwich before she continued. "I just hope he learned his lesson and doesn't put her though something like that again." As soon as the words left her lips, she saw Michael's face drop. Her next words came out in a whisper, "Michael?"

Michael set his sandwich down. The little appetite he'd had when he first entered the restaurant was gone now. She was waiting on him, he knew. He couldn't look at her so he instead focused on a dent he'd found earlier in the tabletop and began to speak. "Saturday I received a call from my lawyers."

Sara laid her sandwich down now and was concentrating on his every word. When he didn't continue right away she reached out to him but he pulled back. He needed to distance himself. He wasn't sure how she would react to him not telling her sooner but he didn't think it would be good. He'd promised her no more secrets. No more lies, not even by omission and that is exactly what he'd done…again. He took a deep breath and tried to meet her eyes. "Nika is contesting the divorce."

Ok. Not the greatest news, Sara thought, but why… "Saturday?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." When Sara didn't say anything more he continued. "I'm supposed to meet with her and her lawyers…"

"When?" Sara asked, although it was so quite he almost didn't hear.

This was the part Michael had been dreading. The part his guilt had been eating away at him for. "Today. At three o'clock."

He could see the moister in her eyes. "Were you going to tell me?"

Michael met her eyes and held them. He needed her to believe him. "Yes."

Sara held his gaze for a long moment. She looked down at her sandwich, picked it up and took another bite. The rest of their lunch was eaten in silence.

~

Michael was a mess by the time he left his lawyers' office a little after four. After an hour spent in a conference room with his lawyers and hers, he still wasn't sure what she wanted from him. All her lawyers would say was that he wasn't offering her enough after everything she had done for him. After Nika and her lawyers had left, he'd stayed for another ten minutes and had spoken to Frank alone. His lawyer kept asking him if he knew what she wanted. He didn't. Although if he was honest, he'd only been half concentrating on the meeting. His mind was on Sara. What was she thinking? Did she want to see him? If she needed space, he would give it to her. He would give her whatever she needed. Whatever she wanted.

Michael made his way through the parking garage and found his car. Getting inside, he removed the tie from around his neck and threw it in the seat beside him. He slipped the key into the ignition and turned the car over. But before putting the car in drive he paused. Where was he going to go? Every night this week he'd driven straight to Sara's after work. Michael leaned forward and rested his head on the steering wheel. Should he go to his apartment? The few times he'd been back this week it had felt empty. It wasn't home anymore.

Michael noticed the clock on the dash. He'd already been sitting there for ten minutes. He needed to go somewhere. After a few more minutes he made a decision. He would go to Lincoln's. Maybe at his brother's he would be able to come up with something.

~

Lincoln opened the door to find his brother looking like something that cat drug in. "Michael? You are right man?" he said with deep concern.

Michael stood with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched over. "Can I come in?"

Lincoln stepped aside to let his brother enter. "Yea sure."

Michael walked inside and over to the couch. Removing his hands from his pockets, he sat down.

Lincoln closed the door and with hands on his hips looked at his little brother. Michael wasn't saying anything, just staring at the floor. "You want something to drink?"

Still Michael didn't say anything. He just shook his head no.

Ok then. Lincoln thought. It was obvious something was troubling Michael but in typical fashion this was something his brother was going to take his time to share. Lincoln decided to take a seat while he waited.

Michael kept replying his lunch with Sara over in his mind. Could he have done something different? Would it have made a difference? He rested his elbows on his knees and brought his hands up to skim over his head. Michael knew patience was not something his brother had a lot of. He wasn't even sure why he had come here except he didn't know where else to go.

Lincoln lost the battle, "Michael, snap out of it and tell me what's going on." Another minute went by and still Michael hadn't answered. With a little more sympathy Lincoln said, "Sara?" Slowly Michael lifted his face to meet his brother gaze.

Michael's face told Lincoln everything he needed to know. "Did you tell her?"

Michael leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes bringing his palms up to rub his eyes. "Yea. I told her."

"I'm assuming she didn't take it very well."

Bringing his hands to rest in his lap, Michael continued but kept his eyes closed. "She was so hurt Linc. I hurt her. Again." Finally he looked at his older brother. "What am I going to do?"

"Your asking me? You're the man with the plan remember."

"Yea well…you have a little more experience with women that I do. So yea, I'm asking."

Lincoln couldn't help but let a laugh escape him.

"It's not funny Linc." The expression on Michael face changed and the next words were almost a whisper that cut to Lincoln's core. "I can't lose her."

"You won't lose her. She loves you Mikey. Don't forget that." Michael leaned forward again resting his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. The look of utter despair surrounding him. Lincoln couldn't believe he was about to do this but, "want me to talk to her?"


	23. Chapter 23

Sara had just popped a TV dinner in the microwave when she heard a knock on the door. Figuring it must be Michael; she threw the plastic into the trash and made her way to the door. Looking through the peephole she was surprised to find Lincoln staring back at her. Flipping the locks she opened the door with surprise. "Lincoln."

"Hi Sara. Can I come in?"

Sara stepped back and moved toward the living room leaving Lincoln to close the door behind him.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked.

"No thanks. I'm good."

Sara hesitated. "Ok." Not quite sure what was going on here, she pointed to the couch. "Do you want to sit down?"

Lincoln followed the invitation and took a seat on the couch. Why had he offered to do this? Was he crazy? Sara sat down at the other end of the couch, hands in her lap, waiting for him to tell her why he was here. Lincoln had only been to Sara's apartment once before and that had been to help her move in. It felt a little strange to be sitting here now. He needed to say something. Lincoln cleared his throat and began, "Sara…"

But before he could get anything else out she interrupted, "You've talked to Michael."

He thought about a denial but thought better of it. "Yea."

"Did he send you?"

"No. Not exactly." Lincoln sighed and rubbed his hands on his jeans. He was not a touchy feely kind of guy and he was out of his element here. "He showed up on my doorstep and…well I didn't know what else to do."

Sara was picking at the material on her jeans. "I see." Both of them sat in silence neither knowing quite what to say. Finally Sara looked up and asked, "Why isn't he here? Why didn't he come home to me?"

"He's afraid he's messed up again. He doesn't know if you want to see him right now."

Lincoln saw a small fire light behind Sara's eyes. "Of course I want to see him." Frustrated she stood. "Why would he think I wouldn't want to see him? I love him. I agreed to marry him."

Lincoln tried to lighten the mood a little. "Yea, I meant to tell you congratulations." Sara turned back and was now facing him but she didn't look amused. He sighed. "Michael is…Michael. He doesn't deal well with conflict. And…well, you're special to him."

Sara just stood staring at Lincoln with her arms clutching her stomach. Finally Lincoln stood and made his way for the door. Before he cleared the opening, however, he heard her say, "Tell him to come home." Lincoln just nodded and left.

~

He arrived home to find his brother pacing his living room.

When Michael heard the door shut he stopped his movement and took a step towards his brother. But instead of talking, Lincoln took a detour and began walking towards the kitchen, set his keys on the counter, and made a beeline for the refrigerator. Michael couldn't wait any longer. "Well?"

Lincoln still didn't answer. He opened the fridge and grabbed a beer. Opening the bottle he threw the cap in the trash and took a drink. Then he looked at his brother. "Go home."

Michael's face changed from nervous anxiety to confusion. "You're kicking me out?"

Lincoln moved passed his brother and made his way back into the living room. He took a seat and another drink before he said anything more. "Yes and no." Lincoln leaned forward and held the bottle between both hands. "Go home. To Sara." Silence greeted him. Then he noticed movement and realized Michael had started to pace again. "Hey Mikey. Did you hear me?" Michael stopped his pacing again to look at his brother. The look on his face was almost more than Lincoln could stand. Michael hadn't dated much in his other life, his life before Fox River, but when he had it was casual. His brother had never put his heart into any of his past relationships. He was out of his element and Lincoln knew it.

With a sigh of frustration, Lincoln put his beer on the table and walked over to Michael. Placing an arm on his brother's shoulder, "That was her message man. 'Tell him to come home.'"

The look of worry on Michael's face lessened slightly but he didn't say anything. Instead he nodded and started moving towards the door. Before Lincoln could think of anything else intelligent to say, he brother had left.

~

Sara heard another knock on her door. This had better not be LJ, she thought. Pulling herself up off the couch she headed to the door. The peephole revealed it was Michael. Leaning her forehead against the door, Sara took a minute to compose herself. Then with one last deep breath, she opened the door to let Michael in.

After opening the door, Sara walked back to where she had been sitting and Michael followed her inside. Giving her plenty of space he took a seat on the couch. Silence hung in the air as neither of them spoke.

When Sara realized she was going to have to be the one to start the conversation, she wondered which topic she should approach first. The omission or why he hadn't come home. In the end she heard herself say, "How did your appointment go?" Obviously he had't been expecting this line of questioning. Again she prompted, "With the lawyers."

Ok. This was a topic he could go with. "I don't know." He paused, "She wants something from me and I don't know what it is."

"You'll figure it out," Sara said confidently. "Just give yourself time to think about it and it'll come to you."

He gave her a little smile. "I know you're right. I just can't seem to put my figure on it. I know I'm missing something."

Knowing they would get to the needed topic eventually she decided to delve into the subject that had cause this little mess in the first place. "What exactly did she say?"

"She, didn't say anything. Her lawyer, however, said plenty. Something to do with the $10,000 not being enough compensation." As soon as the words left his mouth, the answer came to him. Michael stood. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure." As Michael made his way to the phone, Sara had to bite her tongue. She'd wanted to make a comment about him not having to ask her to use the phone since they were all but living together now, but it was clear he'd made some sort of connection so she kept silent. She listened to his side of the conversation as he called his lawyer.

"Frank. It's Michael. I know what she wants. She thinks I have that five million dollars I told you about. Yea I know, but she doesn't. I'm sure Frank. That's got to be it. Ok." Michael hung up the phone and started back to the couch. When his eyes focused on Sara again she was smiling.

He sat back down on the couch but this time a little closer and reached out to touch the side of her face. She leaned in and closed her eyes for a moment before pulling back. Her face grew serious again and Michael retracted his hand. The lightness that had filled him a second before began to fade.

Sara's hands rested in her lap. "Michael, we need to talk." She paused, needing him to know how important this was to her. "Why did you go to Lincoln's today instead of coming here?"

Ok. This was not what he'd expected. He'd expected her to be angry with him for not telling her about the meeting. He'd expected her to corner him like she did after finding out he had taken her keys. Michael met her eyes, "I wasn't sure you would want me here. I promised you no more secrets and I didn't keep that promise."

Michael was obviously beating himself up over this already but she needed to say this. "I was hurt when I found out you hadn't shared your troubles over Nika with me." Sara wanted to reach out and touch him but she held back. "They're my problems too." Her emotions were running high so she considered her next words carefully. "But what hurt more was when you didn't come home to me. I'm going to be your wife Michael. We're going to fight sometimes. I need to know…"

Michael heart broke as he listened to her works. Not letting her finish, he closed the gap between them. His hands cupped her face and he could see the tears welling in her eyes, "Sara… I didn't want to hurt you. I never have." His finger brushed along her hairline, the soft touch of his fingers soothing her. "I'm going to mess up sometimes." Michael cracked a small smile as he added this last part.

"Just promise me," Sara whispered, "whatever happens, you'll always come home."

Sara was home. "I will," he whispered. Sara closed her eyes as he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. He wanted to hold her in his arms and not let go. Instead he pulled back, still not quite sure.

Opening her eyes she found Michael watching her. Seeing the look in his eyes she reached up and placed her hand over his heart. "What do you want Michael?" She saw him swallow but he remained silent.

Moments pasted but just when she thought he wasn't going to speak he said, "I'll show you." Sara gave a small nod in reply. Leaning in, she felt his lips touch hers again. They were soft, barely touching. Bringing his hands up, they surrounded her face, holding her like a fragile flower. He continued this soft barely there kiss and his tongue began to slowly trace the outline of her lips. She felt a gentle tug on her bottom lip as he sucked it inside his mouth, massaging it with his tongue.

Warmth spread from her head to her feet and a small moan escaped her lips. She felt him pause for just a moment as if taking in her reaction and then return to his task. Michael's left hand left her face and settle on her hip. Moving his other hand to the back of her neck, she felt him pull her towards him.

Leaning back to lie on the couch he pulled Sara with him. He hadn't realized she was becoming aroused until he heard the moan escape her. That hadn't been his intention. If she wanted to make love he was more than willing, but he wanted to be close to her if nothing else. It felt like they had been apart for days instead of hours.

She settled herself on top of him, allowing her body to fall in line with the contour of his. They lay stretched out on the couch, their legs entangled. His hands holding her in place while her hands rested on his chest. Never breaking the kiss, he continued to softly massage her lips with his and those barely there kisses were beginning to frustrate her. She wanted more and decided it was her turn to play.

Sara slid her hand up and felt the buzz of his hair against her fingertips. Shifting slightly, she was rewarded by feeling him pressing against her inner thigh. His thin dress pants not creating much of a barrier between them. Opening her mouth, she traced the tip of her tongue around his lips as he'd done hers and felt his hand tighten on her back. When her tongue finished making its journey, she mimicked his earlier actions and pulled his lower lip into her mouth and began to suck. She heard the breath escape him and the pressure of the hands holding her increased.

Lifting his head from the cushion, his lips took possession of hers. He'd been patient. Letting her set the pace. He'd tried to focus on something other than the soft suction of her lips but to concentrate on anything other than Sara was too much effort. Feeling her take his lower lip into her mouth he'd given in to the struggle and allowed the building passion to surface. She didn't resist the new more fevered kiss; in fact she met him enthusiastically. His left hand made its way up her back, his fingers getting lost in her hair.

Sara's hand movements were limited as they were trapped between their two bodies. With the little movement available, she began working on the top buttons of his shirt. Opening it as far as their current position would allow, her fingers traced the exposed skin but it wasn't enough.

Michael was thinking the same thing. He wanted his hands on her, but in this position his access was limited. Pushing himself back into the cushion, he met her eyes and he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Both of them were breathing hard but Sara was the first to speak, "I don't remember making out on the couch as being so restrictive."

Michael couldn't resist, "Make out on couches a lot Tancredi?"

Sara leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I don't kiss and tell Scofield. I guess you will just have to find out for yourself."

With that she pushed off his chest and got up off the couch leaving Michael laying there in obvious need. At the bedroom door she stopped and turned around, "Aren't you coming?" Not waiting for a response, she turned back around and disappeared into the bedroom.

~

The sun had begun to go down and the only real light was from the small lamp beside the bed. Their bed. He understood that now and the happiness he felt was overwhelming him.

He knew she'd heard him enter the room even though her back was to him. Closing the distance, he placed his arms around her waist. As she leaned back into him, he took in the sent of her. Placing a small kiss in her hair he whispered, "I love you Sara."

Turning in his arms she rested her hands on his chest. "I love you too," she whispered back.

Without another word, her fingers found where they'd left off. Silently they undressed each other and allowed their hands to express the intense emotion they were feeling.

~

Sara and Michael lay on bed mimicking the position they'd been in on the couch. Michael's hands rested on her lower back. Sara's were at his shoulders, anchoring herself as her mouth left its hot mark on the skin of his neck. Reaching a sensitive spot his hands tightened.

They'd been laying like this for a while now. She had no idea how much time had pasted. Just softly touching and kissing, nothing hurried. Every so often she would feel him twitch against her thigh. His control amazed her. He hadn't tried to speed things or move to enter her. Other than allowing his hands to travel down to graze her curves a few times he seemed to be content to stay like this all night.

But begin this close to him; skin-to-skin was doing things to her insides. The last time her tongue had found a spot just behind his right ear his hands had made the trip lower and she'd moved slightly to encourage better access, but he wasn't biting. His hand just slid back up to rest on her back once more.

Raising herself slightly, she held his eyes and slid her hand between them. As it made its way down their bodies, he stilled. Her hand reached its destination and she heard his intake of breath. Leaning down her mouth found his while her hand began to stroke him.

The hands on her back were no longer still; each taking opposite positions and now pulling her against him. Her hand was now trapped between them. She continued to stroke him from root to tip and was rewarded by hearing a low moan deep with in his throat.

His hand came up and tangled in her hair. Breaking the kiss he found her eyes. Huskily he whispered, "Sara." The look she returned gave him the response he had been wanting. Shifting his weight, he flipped them both over.

With the movement Sara's hand lost its grip and landed on the mattress beside them. When he settled on top of her she lifted her arm back up to join it's partner currently wrapped around his shoulders, he had other ideas. As soon as her fingers hit his skin, his fingers came up to wrap around her wrist, "No Sara." He brought her hand between them again, "Guide me."

He released her wrist and her fingers wrapped around him once again. Taking her time, she allowed her hand to stoke him again. Opening her legs, he lifted slightly. With a firm grip she guided him to her entrance but held him there with only the tip pressing on her swollen flesh. Sara's left hand cupped his face once again pulling his mouth towards hers. Just before their lips made contact she whispered, "Welcome home." Sliding her hand out from between them she grabbed his hips, and brought him home.


	24. Chapter 24

Friday

Michael hung up the phone. The blue prints sitting in front of him no longer had any appeal. He knew he was wearing a goofy grin but he didn't care. Things with Sara were great, in fact, they couldn't be better. Last night they had talked some more and this weekend he was officially/unofficially moving in. They'd already enlisted Lincoln and LJ's help in moving his stuff on Saturday. The only other obstacle on that front was his parole officer and that would be taken care of on Monday so he wasn't worried.

Last night in bed they'd begun to talk more about getting married. Sara assured him they could just go down to the courthouse but Michael had spent way too much time inside courthouses over the past few years and didn't want to start off their married life in one. In the end, they decided to have a small wedding with family and a few friends.

The only thing standing in their way now was Nika and the divorce, which was what was now to blame for his goofy grin. He'd just hung up with Frank. And Frank had just hung up with Nika's lawyers. Michael had no idea what his lawyer had said to them but according to Frank they were now scrambling. Frank seemed to think they would be heading before a judge before the end of the year. A little longer than he had hoped but that was ok. He was thinking a spring wedding anyway.

~

Michael arrived at the apartment and let himself in; she'd given him a key yesterday morning but this had been his first opportunity to use it. Sara was working tonight to cover for a colleague and wouldn't be home until late. Making his way into the kitchen, he put some leftovers into the microwave for supper.

With plate in hand he made his way over the computer. Michael had been thinking about their wedding all day and he knew in his mind the type of place he wanted. He just had to find it. He started his search and by the time he finished his meal he'd stumped onto a small bed and breakfast just outside of Chicago. It was an old Victorian that had recently been reivated. It had a garden in back with a gazebo they used for weddings. There was also a large banquet room for use in case of rain. It seemed perfect. He printed out the information to share later with Sara.

Turning off the computer he took his plate into the kitchen. Then heading into the bedroom, he decided to work on unpacking some of the things he'd brought from his apartment last night.

Michael had just finished putting away the last of his things when he heard the door open. Glancing over at the clock he saw it was already nine thirty. The time had really gotten away from him and she was even later than he'd expected. He made his way into the living room to greet her. Coming around the corner he paused in the doorway and smiled, "Hi."

Sara was exhausted. She'd planned to only be at the hospital for an extra hour however a patient had been brought up a few minutes before she was set to leave and she'd jumped in to help. By the time they'd gotten her stabilized, it was after nine.

She heard him come into the room and looked up to see him standing in the doorway to their bedroom, hands in his pockets. "Hi," she returned with all the effort she could muster. She allowed her purse to fall off her shoulder and threw her keys down on the table.

Michael saw the sag in her shoulders and the exhaustion on her face. He quickly crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. "Rough day?"

She sank into him, absorbing his strength. "Yeah."

He pulled back and brought his hand up to stroke her face. "Have you eaten anything?" She shook her head no. "Tell you what. Why don't you go take a bath and I'll warm you up some dinner?"

Sara sighed, "That sounds nice."

Michael gave her a small kiss and headed off to the kitchen. Sara made her way into the bathroom to start running her bath.

She'd just sunk her tired body into the bath water when Michael brought in her plate of food. Taking the plate from him, he turned to leave, "Yell if you need anything," and shut the door behind him.

~

Thirty minutes later, her belly full and her muscles a little less achy, she made her way into the bedroom. Michael was lying on the bed in a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt reading.

Sara made her way over to her dresser and selected a pair of panties, slipping them on under her towel. Reaching into her second drawer she pulled out an oversized t-shirt and pulled it over her head. She let the towel fall. Sara wasn't sure why she was being careful to keep herself covered. It wasn't like Michael hadn't seen her naked before. He had taken the time, hours actually, over the past week to explore her body in distinct detail. But tonight she was so tired. She didn't want to tempt him.

Putting the towel into the hamper, she pulled back the covers and got into bed. Turning off her bedside lamp, she rolled over to get some sleep.

Michael followed her lead. He'd wanted to tell her the good news but it could wait. So instead he set his book down, turned off the light and lay back for sleep to over take him.

But fifteen minutes later he was still awake. And so was Sara. She'd been tossing and turning since she'd lain down. Michael rolled over and reached out to her.

When she felt his touch, she rolled over. Seeing the concern on his face, "I'm ok Michael. I just…I just can't seem to get my mind to shut down. I'm still keyed up I guess."

Michael knew she was exhausted and need sleep. It was already ten thirty and morning would come before she knew it. He wanted to help but wasn't sure how. She always slept so well after they made love but he knew she wasn't up for that, and then he had an idea. "Come here."

"Michael it's ok. Sleep will come. I just need to…" But Michael didn't wait for her to finish. Instead he had made his way across the bed and was now facing her, his elbow on the pillow supporting his head. He placed his other hand on her stomach. "Michael what are you doing?"

He found her eyes and held them. "Trust me." It was both and statement and a question.

Sara swallowed and closed her eyes. She knew that look. Knew he wanted her and didn't know, even in her exhausted state if she could deny him. "I trust you," she whispered. "But Michael…I don't know if…"

Michael didn't let her finish. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. When he pulled back she opened her eyes. "Let me help you Sara. This is just for you." As he spoke these last words, his hand slid into her panties and Sara stiffened. "Just for you," he vowed. His fingers began their exploration. Slipping in between the folds of her lips he found her center. Sliding the tip of his middle finger inside her, he began to massage her opening. Hearing her breathing begin to change, he smiled.

He continued to tease her, not allowing anymore than the tip of his finger to slip inside. Adjusting his hand, he brought his thumb up to circle her clit. "Look at me," he said softly. When her eyes found his they were glazed heavy with desire. As he slipped his finger deeper inside her and then another, he whispered, "I love you Sara."

His fingers continued to stroke her and he could feel her tension building, her breaths quicken. His thumb increased its pressure and he began to hear the breathy moans he'd begun to recognize came just before she found her release. Continuing his ministrations Michael bend down to whisper in her ear, "Come for me." Seconds later he felt her muscles contract against his fingers and then her body go limp.

Sliding his fingers out from her panties he started to roll away, but she grabbed hold of his wrist before he could turn over. She rolled away from him but held his arm around her waist. Although he was rock hard from what he'd just been doing, he closed the distance between them and settled behind her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Michael reached up and kissed her brow, "Anytime." They cuddled against each other and he listened to her slip into a deep sleep. For him sleep took a little longer.


	25. Chapter 25

Saturday morning Michael shared the news regarding the divorce with Sara over breakfast. As expected, she was ecstatic. Her mind immediately turned to the wedding and he'd shared with her the information on the bed and breakfast he'd found on the Internet the previous night. Sara agreed it was perfect.

They talked about setting a date. Michael was thinking spring so that all the flowers would be in bloom but then the question became what about his parole. Would they let him leave the state for a honeymoon? Doubtful. Since his release they'd been keeping him on a pretty tight leash.

His parole wouldn't be over until the end of June but they weren't sure they wanted to get married in July. Heat and humidity could be unbearable in Chicago then and they both agreed an outside wedding would be ideal.

At ten Lincoln, LJ, and surprisingly Jessica arrived to help move Michael's things. It was obvious Jessica was still a little wary of Michael but she was trying. They spent the better part of the day boxing Michael's things and hauling them over to Sara's apartment.

By six everyone was exhausted but they were finally done. Only a few large pieces of furniture had been left. Duplicates of things Sara already had. It was decided they'd call the local women's shelter and see if they could use them. Until then, they would were safe where they were.

Everyone was starving and the guys decided to go get pizza and bring it back leaving Sara and Jessica to find places for the last of Michael's things. Sara had been watching Jessica all day. Whenever Michael was in the room she would go on alert, he would leave and she would visibly relax. Sara decided this was the perfect time to approach the subject. "Well Jessica, you've now spent a whole day with all of us. What do you think?"

Jessica held the last of Michael's books in her hand. "Everyone seems nice. It's obvious you all love LJ and he loves all of you."

"But?" Sara prompted.

Jessica gave a tentative smile, "But, this whole thing…it still makes me nervous."

"You mean Michael." It wasn't a question.

Jessica sighed and placed the book on the shelf. She made her way to the couch and sat down. Sara stopped what she was doing and took a seat beside her. "I'm sorry," Jessica said. "I know he's your fiancé."

"Yes he is. But there was a time when I was very angry with him. Before I understood what he did and why. Before I knew what kind of man he is." Sara sighed. "Jessica there's probably nothing I can say that will make everything all better. You'll either choose to get to know LJ's family, including Michael, or you won't. I can't change that. What I can tell you is that Michael is a good man. He'd do anything for the ones he loves. That is why he went to prison. Did everything."

Jessica smiled. "You sound like LJ."

Sara smiled back. "LJ is a very smart young man."

"Yes, he is." The emotion in her voice clear.

"You love him don't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Jessica asked.

Sara laughed, "Only to someone who's been there."

They both shared a knowing smile. Sara stood and walked back over to the box she'd been unpacking. Then she heard Jessica ask, "How did you do it? I mean…I've been doing some research. How did you overlook everything he's done?"

"I didn't. I don't. Michael isn't perfect Jessica. He's made mistakes and he, more than anyone knows it. The problem is you are looking at a list of facts and people aren't just facts. Look behind the facts and find the reasons, the person. Everything Michael did, he did to save his brother."

"I know." Jessica said. "I tried to do what you said. Look behind the facts. I talked to LJ and he told me about Panama. I can't believe he had to go through that. And you. I want to understand. I do. I just don't know how."

Sara stopped what she was doing again and turned back to Jessica. "If you really want to try, the first thing I would suggest is to talk to Michael. Not about what happened, but just talk to him. Get to know him a little. I promise you, you'll be surprised.

After a moment Jessica nodded. "Thank you again Sara."

Voices in the hallway grabbed their attention. The guys were back and all thoughts turned to food.

~

Closing the door on their guests, Michael and Sara headed to bed. It'd been a long day. Each took their turn in the bathroom and climbed into bed. Sara slid over to Michael and he wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head under his chest he placed a soft kiss on her temple.

Sara's hand rested against Michael's chest. Her mind drifted to the t-shirt he was wearing. It was short sleeve so the tattoos on his arms were showing, but she wondered why he was wearing a shirt at all. Wondered if he would ever feel completely comfortable in his own skin again.

As she lazily traced the outline of his tattoo though the thin t-shirt her mind began to wander to Jessica. The girl was obviously smitten. Sara could relate. She remembered her first few meetings with Michael in the infirmary. The looks, the flirting.

She had to give Jessica credit though. The young woman was really trying, her coming today proved that. Sara'd been even more impressed when Jessica had taken her up on her suggestion and tried talking to Michael at dinner.

Michael lay contently holding Sara. He'd been ticking off the things in his head he needed to get done tomorrow when he noticed Sara seemed to be deep in thought. Bringing his hand up to brush his fingers across her cheek, "penny for your thoughts?"

Sara looked up and saw she had his full attention. She leaned up and placed a soft kiss on his lips and then rested her head back against his shoulder. "I was just thinking about Jessica. She's a nice girl. I like her."

"I like her too. LJ seems to be happy."

"I know," Sara smiled.

Michael felt Sara smile but he was waiting for the "but". When she didn't continue he promted, "but?"

She smiled again, "But…" She wasn't quite sure how to say this but since they'd agreed on honesty she decided to be direct. "You make her nervous Michael." She heard him sigh.

"I know."

Although he hadn't moved, Sara could feel him distancing himself mentally. She raised up a little and brought her hand up to cup his face. Meeting his eyes she whispered, "don't." Sara waited for the look in his eyes to tell her he was back with her and then she continued, "We talked today, Jessica and I." She paused. "I think she'll be ok, given a little time." Sara settled herself back down into Michael's embrace.

He brought his hand up to run his fingers though her hair. "I noticed she was trying to talk to me during dinner."

Sara nodded. "She'll be ok," Sara said. "She loves LJ and she'll do it for him."

Michael smiled. "Did she tell you that?

"She didn't have to. The signs were all there."

Michael chuckled, "What signs?"

Sara smiled into his chest. "The signs of a girl in love of course."

"Ahhh." He said, like that explained everything.

With this they fell silent again for a few minutes. Then he heard her say, "Michael?"

"Hmm?"

"I talked to Katie on Saturday at lunch. About us. The wedding." Sara felt Michael stiffen at her words. She'd been trying to find a good time to bring this subject up all week. She hadn't found one. Unconsciously she rubbed her hand against his chest to sooth him. Sara took a deep breath and continued. "She wants to talk to you. Get to know you a little." Sara glanced up at him. "I want her to be there when we get married. She's one of my best friends and she's willing to try."

Michael heard the unspoken words. Katie still didn't like him but since her friend had agreed to marry him…

She continued, "We're having lunch Saturday at Benny's again. Will you come?"

"You want me to have lunch with the two of you? Why?"

Sara's face broke out into a huge grin. "Because she wants to meet the real Michael Scofield."

Michael couldn't help but smile. "The real Michael Scofield huh?"

"Yeah. I want her to get to know the smart, funny," her voice dropped and her hand began to move against his chest again, "sexy, sensitive man you are."

"Is that so?"

Absentmindedly her hand trailed down to his stomach. "It is." Her hand slid up under his shirt and her fingers were now making tiny circles on his stomach. "Will you have lunch with us?"

Sara didn't appear to know what she was doing to him. He was tired but his body never had any trouble responding to Sara's touch. It took him a moment to find his voice, "Sure."

He was so tired. He hadn't done this much physical labor since breaking out of Sona. Sara's hand wasn't going any lower; it was just there and that was enough. He was getting anxious for her touch in other places. Places lower. Distracted by her hand, he almost missed her next words, "Why do you wear your t-shirt to bed?"

"I'm sorry?"

Sara's hand stopped what it was doing and she pulled away a little so she could see his face. "Last night and then again tonight you've worn a t-shirt to bed. Why?"

He looked away from her and closed his eyes.

When Michael didn't answer her she continued, "Honesty remember. We promised no more secrets." When he remained quite, "I've seen your tattoo Michael." Then she smiled, "In fact, I've explored it in great detail." She saw a faint smile cross his lips and hoped she was getting though whatever barrier he was trying to erect between them. "So why wear the shirt? I miss feeling your skin under my hands when I hold you."

Finally he spoke, he eyes still closed. "I'm sorry."

"Michael don't apologize, just tell me what's wrong."

Opening his eyes he met hers. "It's not you," He sighed. "I guess I really don't know why I do it anymore. At first it was to keep them hidden from prying eyes in Fox River, then it was to keep me hidden while on the run, when I was finally released it was…well shame I guess. And now? Now I guess it's just…habit." Michael reached up and caressed her cheek. "I didn't know it bothered you."

Michael always took everything to heart. She hadn't wanted to upset him; she just wanted to know what was going on. So to lighten the mood she said with mock surprise, "Well of course it bothers me. You wearing clothes at all bothers me." With that she broke out into a smile and he laughed.

He was still smiling, "Are you saying you prefer me naked Dr. Tancredi?"

She loved when they shared this type of flirtatious banter. "Well…I might be convinced to allow you a minor piece of clothing but…" Before she knew what was happening Sara found herself on her back with Michael hovering over her.

"But what doctor?"

Sara could feel him pressing against her stomach and the look in his eyes took the words right out of her mouth. Instead of answering, she reached up and pulled him to her.

**End Chapter Notes:**

**Ok well you've read 25 chapters now and I've gotten all of one review. I know this isn't an action packed PB fic but I know I have some readers out there so please take a few seconds, show me some love and leave a review. **


	26. Chapter 26

Monday morning he walked into the office to find three of his co-workers whispering around his desk. It reminded him, for a minute, of the gangs in prison grouped together in the yard. When they saw him however, the illusion was broken. The look in their eyes was not the same as those of the inmates he remembered.

The three around his desk scattered. Ok, he thought. Usually the three co-workers in question avoided his desk like the plague choosing to only have interaction with him when they must. However, when he reached his desk he saw why they'd been hovering. There was a white envelope on his desk. He took his jacket off and placed it on the back of his chair. Sitting down he picked up the envelope and flipped it over. It was sealed and had no writing it except for his name. He had no idea what it could be.

Matt, one of the few that spoke to him at the office without him speaking to them first, cautiously approached him. "Good morning, Michael."

"Good morning." Michael smiled.

"Don't pay any attention to them. They're just curious to see if you're coming."

"Coming?" Michael was confused. Coming to what?

Matt wasn't sure he should say anything. Michael seemed nice enough and he sure knew his stuff but… well he still didn't want to make him mad. Just in case. But as Michael continued to watch him, it was clear he was waiting for an answer. "To the barbeque." Michael still looked confused. "That's what the invitation is for. Every fall John hosts a kind of end of season barbeque at his house and invites all of us. Wives and girlfriends come. It's usually pretty fun."

Michael flipped the invitation over again in his hands. He used to be able to do this. Socialize. Sara would want to go. He knew she would. The question was did he? A part of him did, but what about his co-workers? The ones who'd been hovering. Would they want him there? Probably not.

John would though. His boss had passed him in the hall on Thursday and had commented on how great it had been to meet Sara. How nice she seemed. And after talking to Sara, she seemed to like his boss well enough. He didn't know why he was even thinking about this. Of course they would go. Sara was right. He needed to stop living in the past and start focusing on the future. And this firm was part of his future.

Michael opened the envelope and pulled out the invitation. It was printed on thick white paper with raised black lettering. They were very formal invitations for a barbeque.

He hadn't realized Matt was still standing beside his desk until he heard him ask, "So are going to go?

Michael set the invitation down on the corner of his desk and picked up the file of his latest project. Turning to acknowledge is fellow associate, "Yeah," he smiled. "I think we will." The whispering behind him stopped which made his smile widen. This could be interesting he thought.

~

Michael got into his car. He'd just left his parole officer and as usually it hadn't exactly been the highlight of his day. John was great about letting him leave an hour early every Monday, but Michael hated missing work. Especially to go meet with a grumpy old man who clearly didn't like his job.

Today Michael had told Mr. Sonksen about his new living arrangements. His parole officer had just lifted his eye brow, made a note, and instructed Michael he would call him to set up a time to drop by for a home visit. Until the words had been spoken Michael had almost forgot there had to be a home visit.

Mr. Sonksen had to make sure he was living where he said he was. It would be yet something else Sara would have to endure for him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time with her there. The first time had been harsh. He'd just moved in and their wasn't much in the way of furniture except a bed and a couch. He'd been made to explain where and when he would be getting furniture and how he planned on purchasing it.

The good news was he'd managed to get out of his meeting on time. Sara was working until seven again tonight so only an empty apartment waited for him. He decided this would be a perfect opportunity to surprise her at work as she'd done to him last week. Smiling, he drove off to find the nearest Starbucks.

~

Sara saw him first. She'd been at the nurse's station looking over a patient's chart. He was striding down the hall in his suit with two Starbucks cups in hand. Sara felt a flutter in her stomach. The sight of him always did that to her, even in Fox River.

The moment he saw her, his face lit up and a full smile bloomed. She set the chart down as he closed the distance between them.

He held a cup out for her. "I got done earlier than expected and thought you might like something more than hospital coffee."

As Sara took the cup from him, her fingers brushed his. The memory of his hands on her the previous night came fluttering back. It amazed her that such a small touch from him still had that effect on her. She brought the cup up to her mouth for a sip. "Mmm. Thank you."

"Do you have a few minutes or…"

"No, I have a time. In fact I was just getting ready to take a break." She motioned for him to follow her and headed for the break room at the end of the hall. They entered the room to find Mary already there.

Mary had seen her friend enter with a man following right behind her. After greeting her friend, Mary was wondering who this man was. Then she saw Sara look up at him just before sitting down. The emotions behind such a simple look were unmistakable. So this was Michael. Mary had seen the mug shot of him but seeing him live and in person, it didn't do him justice. Not by a long shot. Michael sat down and Mary finally found her voice and stretched out her hand, "You must be Michael."

Michael took the offered hand and put two and two together, "And you must be Mary."

Mary smiled, "Well I see it isn't only you she talks about."

Michael returned the smile. He'd liked this woman before for being so good to Sara but now he found himself liking her even more. "Sara talks about a lot of things. I assure you, you are only one of many topics of discussion."

Mary laughed, "Well that's good to know." Mary figured she should give these two lovebirds some privacy and stood to go, "I should probably get back. It was very nice to meet you Michael."

"Same here." Both he and Sara watched Mary exit the room.

Sara was very excited about this visit from Michael. She'd been having a pretty rough day and his visit was just what she needed to brighten her mood. Sara took another sip of her coffee, "So how did things go today?"

With his parole officer was an understood part of the question. Even though they'd spent all Saturday moving his things, they knew everything rode on the outcome of his meeting today. "We're good." Michael paused before he added, "He has to come by for a home visit though. You know, to make sure I'm really living there," he rushed to say.

Taking another sip, she heard the anxious inflection in his voice. "It's fine Michael. I remember you having to have a home inspection the last time. You are living there, so there shouldn't be a problem. Right?" He just nodded.

They drank their coffee and talked for a few more minutes.

Sara looked down at her watch and realized it was time to get back. Reluctantly she got up and put her empty cup in the trash. He followed. When he turned back to face her she noticed Michael had that look on his face again. The one she knew he got when he wanted to say something but wasn't quite sure how.

She knew she had to get back but decided to try and wait him out. Luckily she didn't have to wait long. "Sara there's one other thing I wanted to tell you about. My boss, John, is having a barbeque next Saturday. Some sort of end of the season thing he does every year." He paused, "I thought we should go."

Sara smiled, she was so proud of him. Even to herself it sounded silly to be proud over something so simple yet for Michael it wasn't. He'd had no one expect his family for the last two years. For Michael, this was a big step. "I think that's a great idea." Sara reached down and placed her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. They walked out into the hall. Without relinquishing his hand, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. "I'll see you at home."

Michael gave her hand a finally squeeze before releasing it and watched her walk away.


	27. Chapter 27

Stepping into the elevator, Sara pressed the button for her floor. The last two hours of her shift had flown by. Her spirits had been lifted by Michael's visit. In a way it'd reminded her of their stolen moments in the infirmary.

She knew some of her co-workers had been curious, but none of them had said anything to her. Mary, however, caught up with her on her way out and informed her that she was the talk of the hospital. According to her friend, as soon as she'd left them in the break room she'd been bombarded with questions about Sara's visitor. Mary had been quick to assure her she hadn't said anything, but an hour later Mary had overheard Jean and a few of the nurses talking about how creepy it was to have a felon running free on their floor and Mary knew the puzzle had been solved. It was just as well Sara thought. They were bound to meet Michael eventually anyway since he was a permanent part of her life.

Opening the door, she heard voices coming from the kitchen. She followed the voices and found Michael, LJ, and Jessica sitting at the kitchen table. Michael was hunched over a textbook and looked up as she entered. A smile appeared on his face as he stood and closed the distance between them. Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned against him allowing herself to be enveloped by his warmth. This was something she didn't know if she would ever get tired of, coming home to him. He bent down and brushed his lips against her hair. Pulling back, Sara greeted their guests.

Taking a seat at the now full table, she noticed it was covered in books and paper. LJ had apparently been having more math troubles and had called Michael for help. Now that she was home they were thinking Chinese instead of homework. Sara stood and went to the phone to place their order while the others went back to leaning over the books with a look of deep concentration.

While on hold with the restaurant, Sara took a few moments to observe the situation. LJ and Michael were sitting shoulder to shoulder. From here she could see similarities one wouldn't normally pay attention to had they not been side by side. Then movement caught her eye. Jessica was sitting next to LJ. She was leaning in to hear what Michael was saying but that wasn't what had to her attention. It was her right hand. It was enclosed in LJ's and he was gently caressing it with his thumb. Sara smiled, similar indeed. The voice on the other end of the phone pulled her from her thoughts. "Oh yes. I would like…"

~

As Michael finished up in the bathroom, Sara lay in bed with a book open in front of her. She wasn't really paying attention to her reading material though. Instead, her thoughts were of what she'd witnessed over the last few hours. LJ and Jessica had stayed for dinner. Jessica had seem much more relaxed and hadn't shied away when she and Michael had bumped hands when both had reached for the lo mien at the same time. After dinner, Michael had finished helping them with their homework.

Sara smiled to herself. Things were finally coming together for them. If someone would have asked her two and a half years ago what she'd be doing today or who she'd be with, living with someone who'd robbed a bank and broke out of a maximum security prison, someone who had been one of America's most wanted; it wouldn't have even neared the bottom of her list let alone the top. But then again, two and a half years ago she hadn't met Michael.

Almost on queue he strolled out of the bathroom wearing only his boxers. He walked casually over to the dresser and set something down. Sara felt the flutter again, but this time it wasn't just in her stomach. It started there but was slowly spreading through her body. Michael seemed completely unaware of his effect on her. He'd obviously taken her advise from last night and had left the t-shirt, and apparently his pajama bottoms unworn.

He continued to move about the bedroom with ease. They'd been living together now for well…over a week in all honesty, even though the official move hadn't occurred until two days ago. Since that first night they'd not slept apart. This thought brought with it both happiness and sadness. They'd spent too many nights apart. Too many days with only the slightest of touches to carry them through till the next time.

Sara let her gaze fall to the ring on her finger. Things were different now. Michael was no longer behind bars, she was no longer his doctor and he her patient. They were no longer on the run trying to stay a step a head of someone who wanted them dead. No longer separated by cuffs or walls. They were together. Finally. And she was going to be his wife.

Sara's eyes found Michael again. The thought of being married to him made her almost giddy. Sometimes she felt like a schoolgirl. He could make her heart race with just a simple look; make her feel like she was the only person in the world.

Michael approached the bed lost in his own thoughts. He hadn't noticed Sara watching him. Sitting on the bed, he turned on his lamp and picked up the book he'd been trying to read. He'd been working on this book for over a week and was only on chapter 10. Before he'd always read before bed, but since last Friday he hadn't gotten much reading done. Not that he was complaining. They'd fooled around every night and he wouldn't have it any other way. In fact he'd starting getting creative with his reading, and was now utilizing the time before she got home from work. Tonight he'd been able to get through an entire chapter before LJ had called.

Pulling the sheets over his legs, he leaned back against the headboard. Opening the book, he started to read. Five sentences into the chapter, he realized Sara wasn't reading. Now that he thought of it, he hadn't noticed her turning a page since he'd entered the room.

Looking over he noticed that although her eyes were on the book she wasn't reading. He could see her brow creased deep in thought. Michael closed his book and set it back in its place on the nightstand. Turning back he reached out a hand and placed it on her arm to get her attention.

Sara met his eyes and smiled. She realized he wasn't reading anymore and placed her bookmark back in its place. Michael's hand slid from her arm and came to rest on the bed between them as she turned to put her book down.

When she turned back, she knew without looking that Michael's eyes where on her. Sara reached down between them and covered his hand with hers, giving it a little squeeze. "I was just thinking about us."

"Really?" Michael said, trying to match her light tone. "You were looking awfully serious."

Sara slid over and Michael raised his arm to make room for her. Resting her head in the crook of his arm she reached across his lap and entwined their fingers once again. "I was thinking about how different my life has been since I met you." She felt him tense as she always did whenever she brought up the past, their past. "Before I met you I never thought I could be this happy." She heard him release the breath he had been holding. Sara turned and releasing their hands brought her hand up to his face. Would he ever get over the guilt he felt? She hoped so. "I love you," she whispered and placed a soft kiss on his lips before pulling away.

Sara had been right. Michael had been swamped again by guilt when she'd brought up their past. The change in her life from the time she'd met him. It was hard to believe sometimes that she'd forgiven him for everything he'd done to her over the past two years, but she had. He knew he needed to move past this. It was only putting distance between then and that was the last thing he wanted. The feel of her breath just before her lips made contact sent a shiver of sensation down his spine.

When she pulled back and moved back over to her side of the bed, he felt naked. He watched as she slid down pulling the sheets up around her chest. Michael reached over and turned off the light, leaving only the moonlight streaming in from the windows to illuminate the room. As he lay down and brought the sheet up, he glanced over at Sara. She was smiling at him.

Rolling to his side, he reached out to pull her towards him. She came willingly. Her hands came up to skim his inked chest. Her touch was feather soft and it was almost his undoing. He brought her closer and pressed her body against his so she could feel every inch of him. Hearing her suck in her breath brought a smile to his lips. "I do believe you requested only minor clothing this evening."

It took a moment for Sara to register what he'd said. She licked her lips before answering, enjoying the sensation of his body so close to hers. "I do believe I said something along those lines, yes."

Michael leaned in and with his lips just above hers he whispered, "your wish is my command." His lips claimed hers as her hands moved up this chest to encircle his neck. His hand moved to her hip and pushed the thin t-shirt she was wearing out of the way. Sliding his hand up her back, he held her close as he deepened the kiss.

Sara's body was humming, as it always was when they were close like this. When his hand snaked up underneath her shirt she suddenly felt like she was wearing too much clothing but she didn't want to pull away. Instead with one hand Sara reached between them and pulled her shirt up as far as she could. Pressing her bare chest against his, she heard a low growl from deep within his throat.

Michael's hand moved back down her back to her hip. The feel of her breast against his naked chest was pleasantly distracting. He needed to remove all of the barriers between them. Slipping his figures inside her panties, he began to pull them down her legs.

Sara reluctantly used this moment to finish removing her t-shirt. By the time she had it over her head, his hands had make short work of her underwear. Now she was naked. He was still in his boxers. As he started to pull her back against him, she placed a firm hand against his chest to halt him. "I believe you have some undressing to do Mr. Scofield." she said, her eyes dancing with delight. He followed her eyes down and quickly removed his only piece of clothing, tossing it to the floor.


	28. Chapter 28

It had been a long week. Sara hadn't been able to guess what Michael's brief visit to the hospital would do. When she'd gotten to work on Tuesday, her entire floor had heard the news. Not only did they know about the visit and who he was but someone had finally noticed the ring on her finger.

Mary had tried to warn her as soon as she'd spotted Sara, but before she'd gotten a word out Jean had closed the distance and made her voice heard. Unfortunately that hadn't been the end. Everyone seemed to have an opinion and they all felt the need to share it with her. Most had been content to tell her they hoped she knew what she was doing but there'd been a few that seemed to think she needed a stern talking to. Even those who'd been silent before were no longer so. Only Mary and a few of the nurses she worked with regularly had been totally supportive. One had even taken her aside after a particularly rough day and gave her a hug. It'd been that bad. To make matters worse…PMS had set in about mid week.

The only thing that kept her from not going over the deep end was that she got to come home to Michael. He'd told her before that with his old job he'd had to work many late nights. So far with this new one that hadn't been the case. Most days Michael was home before six and so far she hadn't beat him home.

She hadn't told him what was going on knowing it would only upset him but he'd seemed to sense it. Every night before they fell asleep he would hold her close and brush a kiss against the top of her hair. She always felt so loved when he held her like that.

Today however, he was the source of her anxiety. Well that wasn't entirely true. It was Saturday morning and they were scheduled to meet Katie in thirty minutes. So to be honest Michael AND Katie were the sources of her anxiety. Sara had no idea how this lunch was going to turn out. She knew her friend had agreed to a kind of truce but there was still a distrust there, Sara knew.

For Michael, it would be a matter of being himself today and not letting his guilt rule his responses. Things had been really good this week between them. After Monday night, she'd felt the tension begin to dissipate from within him.

LJ and Jessica had come over again on Thursday night and after a short homework session; they'd all sat down in the living room to talk. When the topic of a book Michael had read in college came up, he and LJ had left the room to retrieve it. While they were gone Jessica had turned to Sara and asked her if she'd loved Michael even when he was under her care in the prison.

She'd just started to answer when the men walked back into the room. Left with the decision to either leave Jessica hanging or to finish answering, she'd chosen to finish although she'd watched Michael's reaction out of the corner of her eye. He'd surprised her by not only seeming relaxed but also by replying that yes, he too had fallen for Sara while still her patient. After that the four of them had had an amazingly open discussion about everything that had happened between the couple over the last two years. Jessica seemed intrigued by the complexity of their relationship and the fact that they were still together. That their love had survived.

Sara just hoped that relaxed nature of the last week would hold through today. Jessica was someone new. Katie was someone from his past, someone from Fox River and a reminder of everything that had happened.

Michael came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Seeming to know what she was thinking he said, "It'll be find. I promise." Leaning into him, he placed a small kiss on her temple. Pulling back he took her hand in his, "We should probably be going if we don't want to be late."

Sara tried to smile but it was an effort. Grabbing her purse with her free hand, they made their way to the door.

~

Katie had arrived a little early. She was trying to be calm about this meeting she'd agreed to but if she were honest with herself, she was a nervous wreck. Why did she agree to this? Katie sighed. Her friend was why she was here, why she was doing this.

She saw them enter the restaurant. Both were dressed casual although she noted that he wore a long sleeve shirt even though the temperature outside was in the eighties. To the casual observer they looked just like any other couple. They weren't.

Michael and Sara approached the table and sat down. Michael spoke first, "Hi Katie."

Katie opened her mouth to respond, "Sco…" She caught herself, "Michael."

Habit had steered Katie's greeting, Sara knew, but it didn't lessen its effect. She'd felt Michael tense beside her. Reaching out for his hand, she gave it a reassuring squeeze. Slowly, she felt him relax and give her hand a gentle squeeze in return.

Thankfully after that the tension seemed to slowly fade away. Katie asked him about his new job and things took off from there. They found there was a lot to share. Since Sara's last lunch with her friend, Michael had moved in with her, they had met LJ's new girlfriend, and they'd begun to plan the wedding. Before they knew it, lunch was finished and they were saying their goodbyes.

~

Sara waited until they were in the car before she spoke, "Well?"

Michael put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road. "Well what?"

Sara knew he was intentionally being obtuse. "You know what." When he still didn't answer she sighed, "Was it as bad as you thought it would be?"

Michael laughed, "No." Glancing over at her he said, the laughter still in his voice, "But shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

A hint of a smile shone on her face. "I'll admit I was nervous," she said. Turning slightly in her seat to face him, "Here are two people who are important to me, but who don't exactly like each other."

Michael interrupted, "I never disliked Katie."

Sara sighed, "That isn't what I meant and you know it Michael Schofield."

Smiling he responded, "Yeah I know." Reaching out with his right hand he covered hers, now resting in her lap and began a soothing motion with his thumb. "You want us to get along and you were afraid we wouldn't. Given the circumstances…" He shrugged, "That's understandable. Sara I don't know if Katie and I will ever be the best of friends but…I think I can speak for both of us when I say we want you to be happy."

Sara cracked a smile, "So what your saying is that you'll put up with each other for me?"

Michael gave her hand a final squeeze and brought it back to the wheel. "Yeah. We'll put up with each other just for you."


	29. Chapter 29

One week later

Sara rolled over. Her eyes were heavy from the deep sleep she had been in just a few minutes before. She'd been dreaming about their wedding. Last night they'd called and talked to the owner of the bed and breakfast and had all their questions answered. Michael of course had had a list ready.

She'd had to bit her tongue when he pulled it out. He was such a planner and well…she wasn't. It turned out that he had made notes after all the conversations they'd had over the past two weeks. The list had turned out to be very helpful. She would never have remembered all of it.

She felt him stirring beside her. In some ways they were so different. The evidence of that was clear as soon as one walked into their apartment. When it had been just her, she tried very hard to clean once a week but usually it was more like once a month. A small smile lit Sara's face, since Michael moved in though the apartment had never been cleaner.

Michael hadn't been sure she was awake. Seeing her smile he couldn't resist. Reaching out he brushed the hair away from her face with the tips of his fingers.

Feeling his touch, she opened her eyes. Smiling back at her was the face of the man she loved. The one who could make her heart race with a simple look or touch. Her smile grew. "Good morning."

Michael's finger's trailed down her face and lingered at the base of her jaw. Leaning in he placed a soft kiss on her lips, "Good morning."

He pulled back but his hand remained, gently caressing her cheek. "So are you ready for today?" she asked.

With her question, his hand stilled and then dropped. Michael rolled to his back and faced the ceiling, bringing his left hand up to scrap across his face but he didn't answer. Sara closed the distance between them and nestled against his chest.

Bringing his arm down, he held her close. He knew she was offering comfort and he was grateful. Today was going to be a big step for him, for them. They would go together to the company barbeque and…socialize.

His week had started out normal enough but as the weekend grew closer so had his anxiety. It appeared everyone from the firm was coming and on Wednesday John had gathered them all together and given them the scoop on what to expect. They were to arrive at twelve thirty and lunch would be served at one.

The only one of his co-workers to say anything to him about Saturday had been Matt. The others had continued to avoid him and watch from a distance. Would things ever be like they were? Maybe. Matt gave him hope. He knew the man wasn't entirely comfortable around him but he was making an effort and as with Jessica, that mattered.

Thursday he'd received a call from both LJ and his parole officer. It seemed LJ had wanted to make sure it was ok he and Jessica stopped by again that evening for some more "study help". Michael knew his nephew was smart and so was Jessica. They'd only "studied" for a half hour last week when they'd come over and the rest of the time was spent visiting. He suspected this was a way for Jessica to feel more comfortable which was fine with him. After their first rather eventful meeting, she'd started to calm down and he'd noticed the fear in her eyes start to dissipate.

The second call from his parole officer hadn't been as pleasant as hearing from his nephew, although he couldn't imagine any call from his parole officer being pleasant. He said he had some time after work that day and would like to swing by for that home visit. Michael wrote down the time and had ended up having to duck out of work about ten minutes early to make sure he was able to arrive at home on time to meet Mr. Sonksen.

The visit had gone better than his first one but it was still embarrassing. He should be used to having his stuff gone through after those eighteen months in Fox River where he had been searched every week for seventy-eight weeks straight. It still felt like a violation though. Actually this felt worse. He knew Mr. Sonksen was only doing his job but he would be glad when July came and he was no longer required to see him.

Sara shifted in his arms, which drew his attention back to the present. She pulled herself up so she could look at him. It wasn't a mystery to her why he was being distant this morning and she knew he needed a distraction. Sliding her hand up his bare chest she bent down and began to nibble at the base of his neck. Sara felt his pause quicken and smiled. She was glad it worked both ways. They could both do this to each other with little effort.

His hand slid up her back and his fingers tangled in her hair. She continued to suck and nibble at his neck while her hand slowly made its way back down his torso and traced random figures on his abs. She felt his muscles tighten under her touch. Michael's other arm came up and joined its partner to caress her hair.

When she started a downward path his hands followed her, holding her head with delicate fingers. With every movement of her mouth she felt his body respond. His face no longer appeared to be masked with the anxiety she'd seen a few minutes ago. Now his eyes were closed, his lips open slightly, and she could feel him hard against her stomach.

Sara was in no hurry. They had plenty of time this morning and she planned on taking advantage it. Once she reached the waist of his boxers, she slid herself back up his body and heard him take a deep breath as her body made full contact with his. Michael's hands fell to her back and held her to him.  
Opening his eyes, they locked with hers. The love he saw reflected there almost brought him to tears and he closed his eyes again to hold them back.

Sara leaned down and placed a tender kiss on each of his lids. As she moved down, her lips brushed his cheek before finding his lips. The kiss was barely there but incredibly erotic.

Her kiss was getting to him. He wanted to feel the pressure of her lips, her tongue, but she seemed satisfied with these breathy kisses. Finally he caved. His left hand made it's way up her back to cup her head as he leaned in and captured her mouth for himself.

Sara let a small moan escape from her throat when she felt his lips take possession of hers. She'd been trying to see how long he'd wait before reacting, but keeping the kisses at that barely there touch had almost killed her.

His lips tugged at hers encouraging her to open her mouth to him. When her lips did open and their tongues met a grunt of satisfaction erupted from deep within his throat. Michael's left hand continued to securely hold her head in place as their tongues played. His other hand moved to grasp her hip.

Without breaking the kiss he rose slightly and flipped them over. He pulled back to look at her. Her face was flushed and her lips were swollen from the kisses he'd been ravaging on her the last few minutes. Michael looked down at the t-shirt that was separating them. "You're wearing way to much clothing." Sara bit her bottom lip and nodded.

His hand reached down to the hem of her shirt. She lifted herself up to help him remove it. Once over her head, he tossed the shirt onto the floor. His hand fell to her neck and slowly made its way down between her breasts to the waist of her panties. Sara lifted her hips as he slid them down her legs tossing them aside to join her shirt.

Michael came back to rest on top of her. His lips found hers again briefly then began to move. He kissed the underside of her jaw and her collarbone, then continued downward. When he reached her breasts again he lingered a little, giving each butterfly kisses before he moved lower.

She felt his mouth on her stomach and knew what was coming. With all the effort she could summon she said, "I think we are uneven in the clothing department again."

Michael's eyes looked up at her from where he was hovering. He gave her a little smile, "Patience," he said and went back to what he was doing.

His attention to detail never ceased to amaze her when they made love, especially the slow type of lovemaking they had time for on the weekends. As Michael's lips found her inner thigh, all thoughts left her as she anticipated his mouth, his tongue.

She didn't have to wait long. His lips and tongue found her. She was already so wet and he was enjoying the feel of her under him. As he continued his exploration, Sara's breath began to hitch and he knew she was close. His tongue found her clit and began circling it. With one last lick he saw her head push back against the pillow and her back arch as her mouth opened in a breathy high pitched moan.

He remained between her legs until she came down from her high, placing small kisses on the flesh within his reach. Sara looked down and found his eyes staring back at her. He made her feel so good and she knew he had to be suffering. She'd felt him hard and ready when she'd started kissing him. How long ago had that been? She had no idea.

Decision made she sat up and he followed. Both on their knees facing each other, Sara brought their mouths together again. Moving her hands down to his waist, she began working his boxers down his hips. When the contact between the bed and his knees stopped their progress, Michael broke the kiss and rolled over onto his back to finish removing them. Clothing removed, he threw them to the floor and began to rise but Sara's hand stilled him.

She'd turned and was now facing him. Her left hand on his chest and her right hand was dangerously close to the part of him that was hard and ready for her. His eyes found hers and giving him a little smile her hand surrounded him. Michael's head fell back against the pillow and he closed his eyes. Then he felt her mouth. Her lips were soft as she slid her tongue down his shaft.

Michael's hands gripped the sheets and he tried to concentrate on something other than how good her mouth felt. He wanted to let go but he couldn't. Not until he was inside her. His diversions were working until he felt her take all of him into her mouth and the tip of him hit the back of her throat. He sucked in a deep breath and desperately whispered her name.

Sara looked up but didn't release him. She found his eyes and heard him whisper again, "Please." As much as she was enjoying herself, she wanted to feel him inside her as well and she knew he was close. With one last lick of her tongue she released him. Pulling herself up his body, their tongues met. This time there were no soft playful kisses.

Michael held her to him and poured all the need he had into that kiss. He couldn't wait any longer. He needed to be inside her. To feel her surrounding him. Breaking the kiss he flipped them both over. And reaching between them he guided himself to her opening and slid inside. Her body immediately reacted and he felt her muscles hugging him as he began to move.

Holding each other with their eyes, Sara matched his movements. She knew he was close but so was she. With every thrust he was bring her closer. She could feel the tension building and wanted them to go over together. She reached up and brought his lips down to hers. Locking their mouths together, their tongues tangled together. She could taste herself on him. He thrust again and she felt herself fall over the edge she had been teetering on.

He felt her muscles tighten around him and it had been the last straw for him. He swallowed her moan and road her orgasm. Thrusting one last time he found his own release and moaned loudly into her mouth, never breaking their kiss.

As his breathing began to come normally again, Michael began to rise and lift himself off her but she pulled him back. "Not yet," she whispered. He leaned back down, supporting himself on his elbows. Wrapping her arms around him, they lay holding each other. He glanced at the clock. Ten thirty. An hour had past since he'd first awakened. They'd have to get up soon and get ready, but not quite yet.


	30. Chapter 30

Grabbing the towel from the rack, Michael stepped out of the shower. It was already twelve o'clock and they were supposed to be at John's house in thirty minutes and he still had to shave and get dressed. He'd given Sara the shower first this morning although he'd been tempted to join her. Instead he'd taken the opportunity to call his brother and remind him that they might be late tonight. With a finally swipe of the towel, Michael tossed it into the hamper, grabbed his razor and began to shave.

Satisfied he hadn't missed anything, he turned on the faucet and rinsed the lingering shaving cream from his face. Taking a final look in the mirror Michael reached for his boxers, the only piece of clothing he'd brought into the bathroom with him. He still wasn't quite sure what he was going to wear today and he didn't have much time to decide.

Boxers in place he opened the door to the bedroom and found Sara bent over, butt in the air, pulling a shopping bag out from under the bed. Michael felt his temperature rise a notch just watching her. Stepping into the room he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Instinctively she leaned into him and immediately felt him pressing against her backside. Sara didn't say anything. She just smiled.

Michael tried to peek over her shoulder. "So what do you have there?"

Sara leaned forward and reached for the bag sitting on the bed. Releasing his hold on her waist, he stepped to stand beside her. She lifted the bag and held it out to him. "It's a present. For you. For today."

Michael took the bag from her, the side of his mouth tugging at a smile. "A present?"

She was nervous. "I wanted to get you something to wear…today for the barbeque." Sara began to chew on her bottom lip.

Michael recognized this nervous habit of hers and wanted to calm her fears. He opened the bag and found it was a shirt. He stuck his hand inside and pulled out a burnt orange polo shirt. "Sara you didn't have to…"

The words died on his lips and she could see from the look on his face the moment he had noticed them. Short sleeves. "Michael before you say anything let me explain."

The shirt still in his hands he turned to look at her. "You want me to wear this? Today?"

"Yes," she said simply.

The look in his eyes was distant, guarded. "Sara…I…"

Sara placed two fingers over Michael's lips to keep him from protesting further. "Michael hear me out." Taking a deep breath, she decided to go for it. She need him to understand her thinking on this. "First of all it is supposed to be eighty five degrees today." This first revelation didn't seem to faze him so she continued, "Second, your co-workers know about you right?" He didn't answer but he didn't have to. It was something they'd discussed many times. They all knew. "Third…," She softened the tone of her voice. "Third…your tattoos are part of who you are Michael. They're a visible sign of how much you love your brother." His eyes had softened a little. She hoped she was getting through but she wasn't sure. "Please. Just try."

He remained silent. She was waiting for his next protest when she heard him say, "Ok."

~

They were running a little late but luckily found the address Michael had been given without any problem. Sara sat in the passenger seat as he maneuvered the car into a parking spot along the edge of the street. She'd been watching him since they'd left the apartment. They'd gotten a few looks on the way to the car from people on the street but Michael didn't seem to be letting it bother him. In fact once the decision had been made, he seemed to be resolved in keeping with the plan. Sara watched as he put the car in park and turned off the engine. That was so like him. She knew though that no matter how he acted, he was still nervous about this. She wondered how his co-workers would react to seeing his ink.

Michael got out of the car and Sara followed. He met her at the sidewalk and she slipped her hand in his. He looked over at her, "You ready for this?" She nodded. Hand in hand they made their way up the sidewalk to the door.

Stepping onto the porch Michael reached for the doorbell. Before he could ring it, however, a woman about John's age swung the door open wide. With a huge smile she quickly looked the couple over, "You must be Michael and Sara. It's so great to finally meet you." The woman stepped back to allow them to enter. They were both a little taken aback by the joyous welcome, but stepped inside. She closed the door behind them and started moving toward the kitchen. Turning back to look at the young couple she motioned for them to follow.

They arrived in the kitchen and food was spread everywhere. The woman suddenly stopped as though forgetting something and turned to face them, "Oh where are my manners. I'm John's wife, Becky. We are so glad you could join us."

Michael seemed to still be adjusting to the warm welcome they were receiving from his boss's wife and said nothing. Just as Sara was about to answer, John walked in from the patio. "Michael! Sara!" John stuck out his hand in greeting. "I was beginning to wonder if you two were coming. We were just getting ready to put the meat on the grill."

This time Michael found his voice. "Sorry about that. The morning just kind of got away from us."

Michael said this with a straight face to his boss but it was taking all of Sara's willpower not to giggle so to distract herself she turned to Becky, "Did you need some help carrying out the food?"

"Oh that would be lovely dear. Thank you." Becky turned and viewed the spread. She handed the ribs and burgers over to her husband and gave the rest of the grilling supplies over to Michael. Handing Sara a tray, she herself grabbed two trays of appetizers and followed them out to the backyard where everyone else was gathered.

The whole office was there along with their wives or girlfriends it appeared. When they stepped out onto the patio the low murmur of conversation stopped. Only Matt gave Michael a small nod in greeting, the other's gave a quick appraisal of the new arrivals and then huddled back into their conversations. He nodded back to Matt and followed John over to the grill.

Sara followed Becky and laid the tray she'd been carrying down a few feet from the heat of the grill. As she set the tray down she heard Becky gasp and turned to see what as wrong.

Becky's hand reached out to bring Sara's left hand closer. "Oh my dear…John why didn't you tell me?"

Sara began to blush. "I don't think…"

John had been concentrating on laying the meat on the grill and hadn't been paying much attention to the women. "I'm sorry?"

Becky dropped Sara's hand and placing her hands on her hips, addressed her husband with mock anger, "Why didn't you tell me these two were engaged?"

The conversation that had started to pick up again in the back yard immediately went silent. Becky appeared to be oblivious. "Oh well then…congratulations are in order I suppose," Becky said excited.

Michael, observant as always had noticed the interaction between Becky and Sara. He'd also noticed that their conversation was no longer private.

Sara took a moment to glance up at Michael and her heart sank. To anyone else he would look unfazed but she'd seen that look to many times. Michael was putting up his walls to prepare for what he thought was the inevitable scrutiny of his co-workers.

Michael began to move toward her. Leaving John alone at the grill, he moved next to Sara and placed an arm around her waist plastering a smile on his face. "Thank you," he said. "I asked her two weeks ago and she graciously said yes."

Sara leaned into him and was grateful for his support. She felt a little guilty though. She'd asked him to come today and bear his ink before his co-workers and now he'd have to deal with this as well. Hopefully the revelation to this small group would go better than it had to her fellow doctors and nurses.

What happened next gave her some hope. She saw a man and a woman about their age crossing the yard. As they approached, Becky mumbled something about getting more ice and hurried back inside. Arriving in front of them the man reached out his hand to Sara. "Hi. I'm Matt and this is my wife Vicki."

Sara'd noticed Michael's hold around her had relaxed a bit at the approach of this couple so she took that as a good sign. Sara shook the proffered hand and also that of the woman. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Sara."

"It's very nice to meet you, Sara." Matt said. "I thought I heard that congratulations were in order?"

This time Sara did blush. "Yes well…"

But before she could elaborate Vicki jumped in. "Well I hope he did a better job at proposing than this one," she said as she jerked her head toward her husband.

Sara found herself liking this couple very much. Weaving her arm around Michael, she glanced up at him. The darkness she'd seen earlier had dimmed a little. "Yes, it was quite romantic," she beamed.

"Well one of these days maybe we can get coffee and you can tell me all about it," she smiled.

Sara smiled back, "I'd like that."

The two men had been quite during the exchange but Matt finally spoke up and addressed Michael, "I was wondering who the lady in the picture on your desk was. How come none of us knew you were engaged?"

Michael just shrugged, "I guess I never thought anyone would be interested."

Just then John approached the small group. "Yeah Sara, Michael here doesn't exactly like to share. You have a remedy for that?"

Sara couldn't help herself. The laughter just started. The hand on her waist tightened a little and she spared a look at the man beside her. But instead of the shielded look she was afraid she'd find, his face seemed more open than it had moments before. Maybe things would work out all right after all.


	31. Chapter 31

The rest of the party went pretty well. They talked more with Matt and Vicki as well as with John and his wife Becky. The rest of the group had kept their distance for the most part. Only venturing near when they felt it couldn't be avoided. A few had stared at Michael's tattoos during the first hour but after that, avoidance seemed to be the choice among most of them.

Just before they were ready to leave Sara stepped inside to use the bathroom. As she was headed back through the house, she was just about to round the corner leading into the kitchen when she heard two women talking and what she heard brought her up short. Taking a step back, she leaned against the wall and paused to listen.

"So what's it like? Working with him I mean?"

"It's…well it's interesting."

"How so?"

"Well, he's very quite. And very serious. He knows buildings though, which is helpful but…"

The first woman waited for the other to finish, but when she didn't, "But?" she prompted.

"But I mean you just never know right? I mean things happen in prisons. All I'm saying is you just never know. I mean look at all those tattoos. I'd heard he had a bunch of them but I had no idea there would be so many. That has to say something about a man right? I mean what if he just seems normal but is really a physco."

"Well I'm glad it's not me that has to work with him. It makes me nervous enough that Lee has to. I sure don't know what she's doing with him. I mean she seems pretty normal to me."

"I have no idea. He has a picture of her on his desk at work. It's been there ever since he started so I know they must have been together for a while. Maybe she knew him before…"

Their voices trailed off as they walked back outside with the other guests. As Sara leaned against the wall, she tried to settle her emotions. Would this ever end? Ever get better? Sara swiped at the tears that were threatening to fall. Of course they would, she told her self. They had to.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself away from the wall and went to find Michael.

He was just outside the patio doors talking again with Matt, Vicki, and John. Sara cleared her face of the emotions tugging at her only moments before and concentrated on the joy she was feeling being here with Michael and making new friends.

When he spotted her she saw his shoulders visibly relax, and as she came within reach he quickly swept his arm around her.

The conversation went on for a few minutes more before Michael looked down at his watch. "I'm sorry John but we have to get going."

"So soon? The night is still young yet."

To this Sara responded sincerely, "We kind of have a family tradition on Saturday nights John or we would stay longer."

"Oh well. I completely understand. I wouldn't want to keep you from your family." John extended his hand to Michael. "Thanks for coming. I meant what I said before, I'm glad your on our team."

Michael felt a surge of pride he hadn't felt since his pre Fox River days. "Thanks," Michael said releasing his hand.

John turned to address Sara. "And it was very nice to see you again, Sara. Don't be a stranger. You're welcome to stop in and see us anytime. Maybe you can even get this man of yours to take lunches once and a while if you come around more often."

Sara smiled again. She really was having a good time. At least before… "I'll see what I can do."

After saying goodbye to Matt and Vicki, they traced Becky back to the kitchen and said their goodbyes to her as well with a promise to come back and have dinner soon.

They made their way to the car and got inside. Michael looked over and found Sara staring at him with a goofy grin on her face. It was infectious and he was in a pretty good mood himself. "What are you smiling about?"

On impulse Sara leaned over and planted a kiss on Michael's lips. It was quick and her lips were gone almost before they arrived. Without saying a word, she turned back in her seat and reached for the seatbelt clicking it in place.

Michael realized she wasn't going to answer him so he followed her example and put his seatbelt on as well. But before he started the engine, he reached across the short distance between them and grasp her hand bringing it up to his lips. After a feather light kiss he smiled against her hand and returned it to its place in her lap.

With a final squeeze, he reached up and turned the key. He pulled the car out into traffic and headed for Lincoln's.

~

When Michael and Sara walked through the door they found LJ and Jessica sitting on the couch. LJ had his arm wrapped tightly around his girlfriend as they sat watching what appeared to be some sort of space movie. His nephew looked up when they entered and smiled in greeting. "Hey Uncle Mike. Hey Sara"

It hadn't escaped LJ notice that his uncle's arms were bare. And although he'd seen them several times before, it had been a while. In fact it had been months. His uncle usually kept them hidden except around family and even then it was rare. So he was a little curious as to what was going on now although if he had to take a guess, he would say Sara had something to do with it. There wasn't much his uncle wouldn't do for her. Actually LJ wasn't sure there was anything his Uncle Mike wouldn't do for Sara.

While LJ was lost in his thoughts, Jessica had also turned her head away from the action on the screen and greeted the newcomers. Sara seated herself on the couch next to Jessica and Michael disappeared into the kitchen looking for his brother.

Lincoln looked up as his brother entered the kitchen. "Hey Michael…" the greeting died on Lincoln's lips and his eyes went to the exposed ink. Michael followed his eyes, met his brother's stare and shrugged. Lincoln handed him a beer from the fridge and took one for himself. Motioning with the bottle towards the ink in question, "Something you want to tell me?" Lincoln asked.

Taking a drink himself Michael laid his bottle down on the counter. "No not really." Lincoln's look clearly told Michael his brother wasn't buying it and wouldn't be blown off so easily. Michael crossed his arms defensively and said. "Sara bought this shirt for me to wear to the barbeque today so I wore it. End of story."

A curt laugh escaped Lincoln, "Yea right. You never show your ink man. Not ever." Taking another swig of his beer, " I would've liked to have been a fly on the wall for that one."

Michael's response brought an end to the conversation, "No you wouldn't."

It was clear to Lincoln he wasn't going to get anything more out of his brother on the subject so he decided to drop it. For now. "So how was the shin dig anyway?"

With the change in subject Michael relaxed a little. "It was good. Sara had fun."

Lincoln looked at his little brother. Would he never change? "And what about you?"

Again Michael just shrugged. "It wasn't bad. We talked mostly with a guy I work with, Matt and his wife. We also met my boss's wife Becky who was nice, although quite an interesting character." Michael paused to take another drink. "She announced our engagement to the entire party and invited us to come back for dinner."

Lincoln couldn't help the chuckle that came from deep in his throat. "What's so funny?" Michael asked confused by his brother's amusement.

Trying to suppress the laughter that was bubbling within him, Lincoln just shook his head. "Nothing. It just sounds like you had a decent time."

Michael thought about it for a minute. "Yea. I guess I did."

~

Sara and Michael crawled into bed late that night. Both were exhausted but Michael still opened his arms to her and she snuggled close. As she splayed her hand across his bare chest, Sara leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered and then settled back down into position.

Michael tucked his chin and looked down at her. "What are you thanking me for?"

Sara didn't look up. Instead she snuggled deeper against him and listened to his heartbeat. "For wearing the shirt I got you. For going to the party. For staying by my side and supporting me. For everything."

He leaned forward and she felt his lips graze the top of her head. All the reasons her comments weren't true in his opinion flashed through his mind but just as quickly he dismissed them. Instead he simply said, "Your welcome."


	32. Chapter 32

Michael woke to find Sara propped up on one elbow watching him, a strange look of concentration on her face. He couldn't help but be amused, she was so cute when she was like this. He remembered that look from the infirmary although he didn't see it as often now. When her eyes came up to meet his, he gave her a half smile and asked, "So what's on your mind this morning doctor?"

She could do this she told herself. The worst he could say was no right? Sara bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. She glanced down at her hands that were now fiddling with the sheet.

Michael reached out and touched her shoulder and the feel of his hand brought her eyes back up to meet his. His hand smoothed its way up her arm and brushed her cheek as he moved her hair behind her ear. "Sara?"

Ok. Here it goes she thought. "I was wondering if you'd like to go with me today." When he looked a little confused, she amended, "To my NA meeting." When Michael still didn't say anything she felt she had to continue. "I just thought that since we're getting married, it would be a good idea for you to come once and see what its like." She hurried to add, "But you don't have to. It was just a suggestion."

Michael slid over and wrapped his arms around her holding her close. He knew it had taken a lot for her to ask him and he was overwhelmed by her gesture. "It was a good suggestion. I would love to come." He felt as well as heard the air leaving her lungs as she held him tight and buried her face against his neck. "What time do we have to be there?"

"Eleven," she said, her breath fluttering against his skin.

Without letting go of her, he glanced at the clock. They still had plenty of time. Michael made no move to release her and she continued to hold on to him as if reassuring herself he was still there. After a few minutes, he felt her begin to relax against him and he rolled to his back pulling her with him. Little by little her breathing began to slow and he knew she'd fallen back to sleep. He knew he should get up and take his shower, but instead he choose to stay where he was and hold this incredible woman in his arms.

~

At ten forty-five Michael and Sara walked into St. Vincent's church and made their way down to the basement where the NA meetings were held on Sunday mornings. When they arrived at the bottom of the steps, they found three other members of the group had already arrived including the group's leader Marcy who quickly came over to great them.

It was obvious as she approached Marcy was wondering about their guest. Sara hadn't failed to notice the look of approval in Marcy's eyes and for a moment Sara felt her spine stiffen in reaction and her hand reached out and slipped into Michael's. She wasn't typically a jealous woman but she wasn't naive either.

Marcy'd been wondering who this delicious looking man was Sara had brought with her when she saw Sara's hand take possession of the new arrival's. Last week Sara had shared with the group that she'd gotten engaged. The group was happy for her of course, encouraging. Marcy had to assume by the possessive posture Sara'd taken that this was her fiancé. She had to give Sara credit. The man was hot and he mustn't be too bad in the support department if she'd been able to get him to come to a meeting with her.

The only question she had was why Sara hadn't mentioned him to the group sooner. The first time she'd brought him up was about three months ago. It had been obvious then, at least to Marcy, that the couple had a history. It had eaten at her as to why Sara hadn't mentioned a boyfriend before, so after a session about a month ago Marcy had tried to broach the subject. All she'd gotten out of Sara however was that he'd been away for a while and now he was back. If that was the case, things were moving a bit fast in Marcy's opinion but maybe she'd been wrong. This man seemed to care for Sara and if he was supportive and could help her fight her addiction then all the better.

Coming to a halt in front of the couple Marcy greeted Sara and her guest. "Good morning Sara."

Sara was trying to relax, she really was. But between her nerves at how Michael would react to her NA meeting and now Marcy's obvious reaction it was hard. "Hello Marcy. How are you this morning?"

Trying to keep her eyes focused on Sara, "I'm great. Indian fall is always my favorite time of year. I love all the beautiful colors." Sara did comment. Instead smiled back in response. When it became obvious introductions were not forthcoming, Marcy turned slightly and stuck out her hand to their guest. "Welcome. I'm Marcy and I lead the Sunday morning group."

Michael took her hand in greeting. "Michael. It's nice to meet you Marcy."

She didn't quite know where to go from here. Sara wasn't a huge talker but she did usually open up and share with the group. At least Marcy had thought she did until the little revelation about an unknown boyfriend and now fiancé. Now she wasn't so sure. Sara wasn't making any attempt at polite conversation and the man beside her seemed to only be willing to offer polite greetings as well. Then she saw it. Their hands. His thumb was gently caressing hers in a gesture of comfort. It was subtle but it spoke volumes.

Seeing another one of their members coming down the steps Marcy motioned for Sara and Michael to grab some coffee and join the group as she made her way over to greet the newest arrival.

~  
Michael sat behind the wheel driving back to their apartment from Sara's NA meeting. He hadn't known what to expect but in a lot of ways it reminded him of the many days he'd spent in his therapist office. Except there were about ten people instead of just two in the room, well eleven if you counted him.

Sara sat in a circle with the rest of the group while he'd hung back a little and sat just to the back of her on the right. She'd been nervous at first. It hadn't escaped his attention when her body had stiffened at Marcy's approach. He didn't understand it really but that hadn't mattered. She'd been there for him more times than he could count and he wouldn't let her down, so he offered what comfort he could given the situation. It brought back memories of their first month together in Fox River. The stolen moments and subtle gestures they'd shared.

He glanced over at Sara sitting quietly in her seat beside him. Once the meeting had gotten started she'd relaxed a little if not completely. He'd sat back and listened as each person shared information about their lives and their struggles with their addition. When it was Sara's turn she shared with the group the struggle she faces every time she has to give morphine to a patient.

He listened intently to the pain in her voice as she described not only the pull the drug had on her but also how conflicted she was about giving it to someone else who could become addicted just as she had. He hadn't known. It wasn't something she'd ever shared with him before. And it was then, he was glad he'd come.

When they'd gotten home Sunday afternoon Sara had remained quite. She hadn't said a word in the car or on the way up to the apartment. Michael was a patient man and was willing to wait her out if need be, but as they got closer to the apartment he sensed she was waiting for something. Wondering if he'd missed an important clue, he quickly reviewed everything in his mind. She'd revealed something to him that he was sure she didn't share often. It was a big step.

Could she really be feeling unsure? The more he observed her, the more that seemed to be the case. It wasn't a side of her he often saw. She was the surest person he'd ever met. Once making a decision, Sara didn't usually back down. It was one of the things he loved about her. She was his rock and had been since they'd met. Whether or not they were physically together hadn't mattered.

When she stepped through the door, her purse slide down her arm and came to rest with a thud on the floor. The look on her face was of uncertainty. He hated seeing her like this. Not knowing what to do Michael went on instinct and reached out. His fingers tugged at her hip and pulled her against him. She hesitated as if unsure for a brief moment and then melted into him snaking her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her and he buried his face in her hair.

His arms held her tight for several minutes before he spoke. "Thank you," he whispered. She gave no words in response, only a small sigh. She'd been nervous as to his reaction. Although he knew about her addition, he hadn't known the extent of it she was sure. For her at least it had hung between them and these past two weeks together had been all about breaking down barriers between them. She knew they'd needed to talk about her drug problem but she'd be unable to find a way to approach the subject. Having him come with her had been the best solution to her problem but that hadn't meant it had been easy.


	33. Chapter 33

Monday

It was quarter to eight and Michael had arrived at the office first as usual. He'd just sat down and walked in to the large office the firm's employees shared. John casually walked to his desk and greeting him with a smile said, "Good morning."

"Good morning." Michael replied returning both the greeting and the smile.

John placed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels the smile never leaving his face. "I talked to Becky Saturday night after everyone left. She seems to like you."

Michael wasn't quite sure how to respond or if he was supposed to. So instead he decided to wait and see what else his boss had to say. He didn't have to wait long before John continued. "I've been told we're inviting you and Sara to dinner. How does Friday night work for you two?"

It was a simple question Michael knew. At least it should be. But in this case it wasn't. This again was something new. A situation he'd never been in before.

John saw the panic in Michael's face but not knowing what had caused it he quickly added, "Your under no obligation to come Michael if you don't want. It's merely an invitation."

He'd been running all the possibilities though his mind when he heard John speak these last words. Knowing he need to respond he said, "It not…I mean I don't know." A smirk returned to his bosses face. Clearly he was amused. Michael ignored him. Instead he composed himself and said, "I'll talk to Sara and let you know if Friday will work."

"Sure." John replied and turned back towards the door.

Matt passed him on his way into the office. His boss was clearly trying to stifle a laugh and not having much success. He'd been working for John for about a year now. It'd been the best decision of this life. Coming from a high profile firm he'd been used to rigid structure and tight deadlines. Not that there weren't deadlines here, but John was a great communicator and for the type of work they did things ran amazingly smooth. Laying his briefcase down on his desk, Matt turned to face the man he was just starting to know and noticed a worried crease in his brow. Before he would've been unsure of the man in question's response to such an intrusion and just went on his way, but after spending several hours with him on Saturday he had a new perspective. "Something wrong?"

Michael had been deep in thought and it took him a moment to realize Matt was talking to him. He turned to face the man who was becoming somewhat of an ally if not a friend, although that was something Michael couldn't quite wrap his mind around.

Seeing the concern on Matt's face as he continued to stare made Michael realize what message his facial expression must be sending. Composing himself once again he responded, "No. Everything's fine." He was going to leave it at that and then decided to add, "John just invited Sara and I for dinner on Saturday. I guess it just threw me a little."

"Ahh. I see." Matt said. And he did. He was actually beginning to understand the man beside him a little. "So are you going?"

"I don't know." Michael began moving as if he'd forgotten something and reached for his phone. "I need to talk to Sara first."

Matt smiled as he realized he'd been forgotten as Michael began speaking into the phone. Looking up he saw his other two co-workers walk into the office with no time to spare. As they walked to their desks in the back of the room, it appeared Michael was leaving a message. Turning back to his brief case he began unloading the papers he'd taken home with him last night deciding it was time to get to work.

~

At ten thirty Michael's phone began to ring. The problem was, Michael wasn't there to answer it. He'd been pulled into the conference room with John about ten minutes ago. Matt debated on whether or not to let it go to voice mail. But knowing Michael had been waiting all morning for Sara to call back made his choice simple. Crossing the short distance between the two desks he picked up the phone. "Biggs Associates."

There was no response from the other end of the line so he tried again. "Biggs Associates, can I help you?"

"I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number."

"Sara is that you?"

He heard her pause before she quietly answered, "Yes."

"It's Matt. We met on Saturday."

He heard her let out an audible breath, "Oh hi Matt. I'm sorry I thought I called Michael's number," she asked with a bit of confusion.

"You did actually. Michael stepped away for a while but I knew he was waiting on your call so I answered. I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's ok. I'm just sorry I missed him. I got a break between patients so I thought I'd call him back." He heard her pause. The disappointment in her voice was clear as she continued, "I guess I'll have to try him back at lunch."

"Actually you don't. Can you hold on for a few minutes? I can go and get him."

A few seconds passed before she answered, "Yes thank you."

Putting the call on hold he made his way down the hall to the conference room and found the two men he'd been seeking huddled near the white board on the other end of the room. Deep in conversation, Matt almost hated to interrupt. "Excuse me." Both men turned to face him. "Michael you have a call on line four. It's Sara. I thought you might like to take it."

"Thank you." Michael had no idea what he'd done to deserve the friendship Matt seemed to be offering him but he was grateful. Turning to his boss, he found John was already walking to the other end of the room in an obvious attempt to give Michael some privacy.

Picking up the conference room phone he pressed line four. "Sara?"

"Hi Michael," she said a little breathlessly. Hearing him say her name never failed to send a pleasant sensation up her spine.

Michael smiled hearing her voice on the other end of the line but neither spoke as they seemed to be caught up in a moment. It was movement at the other end of the room that brought him back to the present. John was still there and they had work to do. So did she. Reluctantly he cleared his throat and began to speak, "John and Becky have invited us over for dinner on Friday night."

Sara heard the statement but she also knew it was a question. Too many men in her past would have just made plans and assumed she would willingly follow, but not Michael. He would never push something on her she didn't want. She leaned back against the wall cradling the phone to her face. The swell of love for him almost overwhelmed her as tears began to come to her eyes. Closing them tightly she leaned her head back.

Concerned by her silence, "Sara?"

She straightened and took a deep breath. "I'm here Michael. Friday should be fine as long as it's not too late. It's my Saturday to work." One of the nurses was heading toward her and from the look on her face Sara needed to go. "Michael I have to go. Tell John we'll see him and Becky on Friday."

"Ok. I will. Thank you for calling me back Sara."

Although she knew he was dead serious, she almost laughed. "Of course I'd call you back. Did you think I wouldn't?"

He could hear the amusement in her voice and the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding expelled. With a little laugh of his own he responded, "You never know. One of your patients might make you an offer you can't refuse."

She was laughing now. "Not a chance." Growing serious again she replied, "I love you Michael Scofield." Allowing a moment for that to sink in, "I'll see you tonight." And then she disconnected.

~

As usual Michael arrived home before her. In his other life, before Fox River, he'd rarely been home before nine and that had suited him just fine. He'd been working for John over a month now and he'd only been in the office past five twice. John was a family man and liked to be home for dinner. He didn't expect his employee's lives to be any different. The day began at eight and ended at five unless they were working under a tight deadline, which thanks to John's excellent management skills didn't happen often.

After removing his tie and tucking it into his side of the closet, Michael headed into the kitchen to find dinner. He'd just settled down in front of the couch when the doorbell rang. Setting his plate down on the coffee table he went to the door. Looking through the peephole all he saw was the back of a woman's head. Figuring it must be Jessica, although he didn't have the slightest clue why she would drop by without LJ, he stepped back and opened the door. The face that greeted him, however, didn't belong to Jessica. The woman that turned to greet him was his wife.


	34. Chapter 34

Nika stood in the doorway staring back at Michael. Neither spoke for the longest time until finally she broke the silence. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" she asked smoothly.

At hearing her voice again, her betrayal came rushing back to him. Instead of stepping back to allow her entrance, he stood his ground. "What do you want Nika?"

"I thought maybe ve should talk." She said coyly.

He was just about to tell her to take a hike when he thought better of it. Maybe this could work to his advantage. If it meant getting the divorce to go through faster, it would be worth it. He took a step back.

Accepting his acknowledgement she walked inside and made her way over to the couch. Glancing down at his untouched plate she raised her eyes to him and stared questioningly. He met her with a cold and unfriendly stare of his own and eventually she lowered her eyes. Taking a seat she pulled her short skirt down in a vain attempt to cover herself.

When she still failed to speak he folded his arms across his chest and began again, "What do you want?'

"I think you know vhat I vant Michael."

Not moving from his spot he responded harshly, "No I don't. Why don't you explain it to me."

Seeing she was going to have to lay it out for him she took a deep breath, "I vant…one million dollars. I think it is the least I deserve."

"And why is that?"

Frustrated now she stood, "After all I did. All I sacrificed vor you and your brother. I deserve a cut."

It seemed he was going to have to spell this out for her. "I don't have the five million Nika if that's what your thinking." He saw she was going to protest. "And I don't know where it is."

"But…"

"There is no but. It's gone." Then he shrugged. "Hopefully it ended up in the hands of someone who needed it."

Nika thought about this and decided maybe she should change her tactics. She crossed over to Michael's stiff form and reached out laying a hand on his hard chest and began to slowly slide it up his torso. Looking up at him with a soft seductive look in her eyes she said, "Maybe we could come up with some other sort of exchange then."

Michael uncrossed his arms and closed his figures around her wrist. Pulling her hand away from him, he placed it back down at her side. "I think you need to go." Leaving no room for debate, he cross the room and opened the door.

Reluctantly she grabbed her purse and made to exit. Stopping, she turned to face him again. "Ve could have been good together Michael." When she saw no reaction from him she sighed and walked out.

After Nika left, Michael made his way back to the couch and his food. It was now cold but that was ok. He'd lost his appetite anyway. Instead he tucked his plate in the fridge and decided to do some surfing on the web.

That's where Sara found him when she walked in the door at seven thirty. A full-blown smile spread across his face when he saw her and she returned the greeting.

As she set her purse and keys down, he began to log off. "There's a plate already made up for you in the fridge."

"Thanks." Slipping her shoes off, she made her way to the kitchen and food.

By the time she made it back into the living room he was just getting up from the computer. Taking a seat on the couch, she waited for him to join her as usual. As she tucked her legs under her Indian style on the couch her hand brushed something. Looking down she noticed what appeared to be material of some kind in between the cushions of the couch. Reaching down, she pulled out a black silk thong. It was obviously a women's and definitely not hers. Holding the small piece of silk up for him she asked, "Something you want to tell me?"

Michael stopped in mid stride when he saw what Sara was holding in her fingertips. There was no doubt in his mind as to whose it was or how it had gotten there. Taking the final steps toward Sara, he took his seat beside her on the couch. Placing his elbows on his knees he clasped his hands together. This was his fault. He let her in to the apartment. He should have known better.

"Michael?"

He took a deep breath but continued to look away. "Sara I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let her in here."

Sara put her plate down on the coffee table and let her legs slide to the floor. Turning to face him she said, "Who is "she"?" But as soon as the words left her mouth she knew the answer. "Nika?" Hearing her name brought Michael's head up and he nodded. "So what did she want? Besides to leave her underwear." This last part was said with a small laugh.

He'd heard the laughter in her voice but he almost didn't believe it. He took a minute to look into her face and although he didn't completely relax, the heavy weight that had been pressing down on his chest began to lift. "I was right about her thinking I had the five million. She came here to get her "cut" as she put it."

"I see. But how does that translate into the…present she left?" she said as she did a little twirl with the item in question.

Michael swallowed. "She made a pass at me." He found her eyes and held them. "Nothing happened Sara."

It was her turn. "I know."

"You do?"

"Of course I do." When disbelief remained she added, "Michael I know you love me. I would never cheat on you and I know you would never cheat on me. We've been through too much together to not have trust. And I trust you Michael. With my life and my heart."

His lip curled into a smile. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Sara slid over and lifted his arm allowing it to encircle her. He leaned back against the couch and she snuggled against him. "Mmm I don't know. Just lucky I guess."

With his free hand, he placed a finger under her chin and brought her face up. "Oh I don't think luck had anything to do with it."

His lips descended and she leaned in to meet him halfway. Sara brought her hand up to rest on his shoulder and deepened the kiss. His hand splayed on her waist, holding her close. As the kiss became more intense, his fingers became restless working their magic against the thin material of her shirt.

Sara shifted slightly in an attempt to get closer and as she did her arm brushed against him. A thought crossed her mind and she acted on it. Not breaking the kiss she raised herself up. Turning to face Michael, she swung her leg over his lap and positioned herself with her knees bracketing him. Feeling his arms circle around her, she adjusted to her new position. Lowering herself onto his lap both of them sucked in deep as they made contact through their thin clothing.

Michael recovered first and reaching his arm up to cup her head he pulled her to him aggressively. The kiss was hard and demanding and she met him stroke for stroke. Their tongues mingled and licked at each other.

Hands roamed over material franticly needing more contact. Finding the hem of her shirt, he rejoiced when he touched bare skin. Dancing their way from her back to her stomach, his fingers enjoyed the feel of her. He heard a catch in her breath as his hand moved up to linger just beneath her beasts. Stilling his hand for a moment he waited for her reaction. In no time at all she responded with a low moan and reached between them to guide his hand the final distance.

Her bra quickly became a hindrance to his exploration and he reached behind her to unclasp it. The moment it came free he felt her lean against him pressing her breasts against him. Reaching between them again, he continued where he'd left off massaging and teasing her tender nipples.

Their mouths remained locked together in a dance and had yet to part completely. They we absorbing each other, totally obvious to the world around them. Feeling Sara begin to pull away he brought both hands back to her hips and stilled her. She broke the kiss leaning her forehead against his. Her eyes were glazed over with passion and he could see she was trying to catch her breath.

Finally she spoke, "The bedroom Michael."

He responded by pulling her mouth back down to his. "No. Here." His mouth connected again with hers and there was no more discussion.

Reaching down he gripped the hem of her shirt and began pulling it up. It caught under her arms and she broke the kiss hurriedly and removed it the rest of the way taking her bra with her. With no time to admire the beauty that had just been revealed to him their mouths came together again briefly and she began to remove his shirt as well. The scene repeated itself as she pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor.

Now both naked from the waist up, he felt her breast flatten against his bare chest. He didn't think he had any blood left in his head at this point. All he wanted was to be inside her. To further this objective he began to unbutton the kakis she was wearing.

Feeling his movements, Sara brought her hand down and began removing his belt. He'd just gotten her zipper open when she tossed his belt to join their rapidly growing pile of clothes. Placing a last kiss on his lips, she moved to stand. Pushing her pants down her legs she kicked them aside and returned her gaze to him. He'd been watching her and was now staring with blatant need in his eyes and this was a man she'd come to realize didn't "need" much. The knowledge that she could do this to him made her more heated and full of need herself. She wanted him inside her and she wanted it now. "What are you wanting for Scofield?"

Her voice brought his thoughts back into focus and he quickly finishing unzipping his pants and pushed them down his legs.

Not waiting for an invitation, Sara repositioned herself to sit on his lap. This time however when she sat down, she did so slowly savoring the feel of him sliding inside her.

Looking into her eyes he held her there enjoying the feel of being completely surrounded by her. It was a feeling he didn't think he'd ever get used to. Raising himself up, he captured her lips once again and began to move. Sara's response was immediate and whole. Her tongue vied for position with his as her swollen flesh held tightly to him, urging him for more.

Sara began to pick up the pace. Her head fell back in obvious pleasure and he took the opportunity to suckle her neck. The hands that had been firmly holding on to his shoulders gripped him tighter as he continued to lick and nibble at the soft flesh. Michael could feel the tension building in him.

Glancing up, he could see that she was close too and wanting her to find her completion first, he slipped his had between them and began to caress and tease her already sensitive peaks. Shifting slightly, he increased his trusts. Sara's nails dug into his shoulders and from deep within her throat a high-pitched moan could be heard. Her lips parted releasing the sound as her inner muscles squeezed him with her release. Michael let himself go, his head fell back and a growl like sound came from deep in his chest as he exploded inside her.

Collapsing forward, she rested her forehead on his shoulder. Was it always going to be like this? She hoped so. Michael's arms were wrapped around her, holding her tightly, as if he'd never let her go.

Lost in the pleasurable sensations still singing in her body, she heard what sounded like a low growl between them. Picking her head up she looked at him, "What was that?"

A blush crept up Michael's cheeks. "I think that was my stomach. After…" He didn't want to mention her name while he was still in such and intimate position with Sara. "I sort of lost my appetite." Giving her a little smile, "I think it's coming back though."

With a sigh she lifted herself up off his lap and reached for her panties. As her hand landed on her shirt, her stomach made some noises of its own. Smiling down at him, "Well I guess your stomach isn't the only one protesting the lack of food."

She reached for her kakis and his hand stopped her. Expecting him to say something she turned to face him again. Instead he softly brushed his lips against her fingers and released her hand. Bending down to pick up her now cold plate of food, she headed for the kitchen. Standing himself, he gathered his clothing, quickly dressed and then followed her.


	35. Chapter 35

Friday

Michael stood beside the bed watching her sleep. He was dressed for work with his jacket slung over one arm. Because Sara had to work Saturday, she had today off. She looked so peaceful he almost hated to wake her. Squatting down he reached out with his hand to brush back the tendrils of hair covering her face from his view. Fingers lingering on her face, he took a moment to take in the beauty that was Sara. Her silky red curls that he loved to run his fingers through. Her lips, able to do wonderfully amazing things to his body. Michael smiled and he continued to caress her cheek.

Closing the gap between them, he leaned in to brush his lips against hers. When she didn't stir, he leaned in again putting a little more pressure behind the kiss. This time she responded. Her eyes fluttered open and her lips curved up into a sleepy smile. "Good morning," she whispered. Michael just smiled in return.

Sara took in his fully dressed state and met his beautiful blue eyes. "Time to go already?"

The question was rhetorical, he knew, so instead he said, "I got up early this morning and found some more wedding things you may want to look at. I printed them up for you and laid them on the table."

Michael's hand had not stopped caressing her face and it was beginning to get her attention, which was not good. She knew he needed to get to work. So instead she brought her hand up to cover his with her own. Bringing his hand to her lips she placed a kiss on his open palm and saw the light flicker in his eyes. Sighing she released his hand and propped herself up on one elbow. "I'll take a look at it before I leave for lunch."

Rocking back on his heals, Michael stood. "Are you still having lunch with Katie today?'

"Yes. We're meeting on her lunch break. I can't believe it's been almost a month since we last saw each other. Things have been a bit crazy I guess." She saw Michael glance down at his watch and knew it was time for him to go. Throwing back the sheet she sat up. "I'll walk you to the door."

The site of Sara sliding her body out from under the sheet was almost his undoing. His desire for her was easily kindled and when she'd pressed her lips to his palm a few minutes before he'd had to fight the urge to fall down on top of her and crush his lips to hers. Now, however, all he could do was walk away.

Sara followed him into the living room and watched him slip his jacket over his shoulders. Grabbing the briefcase he now carried to and from work, he turned to face her. Reaching up, Sara wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll see you when you get home. We have to be at John and Becky's at six thirty right?"

Michael swallowed. His hands were itching to touch her. "Yeah. I should be home around five thirty though."

Sara smiled and pressed her body more firmly against his. "Ok. I'll be ready." Pulling his head down her lips met his.

The moment he felt her lips, he gave in. Dropping his briefcase, his hands found her hips and pulled her against him. Michael let his mouth express everything his body wanted to say. When he finally pulled back, both were breathing heavily. "I need to go."

"I know," was all she said. Sara stepped back and he bent down to pick up his fallen briefcase. And with one final heat filled look he left.

~

Michael's morning went quickly. He was knee deep in a project that was just about to go to construction and needed some last minute structural adjustments when his phone rang. Figuring it must be Sara he picked it up without a second thought. "Brigg's Associates."

"Michael?"

The voice on the other end was clearly not Sara's. "Frank?"

He heard an audible sigh, "Oh good. I'm glad I caught you before you left for lunch Michael."

It was clear his lawyer was excited about something, "What's going on?"

"A currier just came by and dropped off some papers from your wife's lawyers."

Frank paused after sharing this bit of information and Michael cringed. Hearing Nika being referred to as his wife didn't sit well with him anymore. Before he could respond however Frank continued, "She signed them."

This got Michael's attention. "What?"

"She signed the papers. I just sent the documents off to the clerk's office to get a court date scheduled. I told you you'd be a free man by the end of the year."

All thoughts of what he'd been doing before the call vanished. It was really happening. His divorce would be final and he'd be free to marry Sara. Frank's voice called him out of his revelry again, "I know your at work so I'll let you get back. I just knew you would want to know right away. Will get this done for you Michael. I should know the court date by the end of next week. I'll call you as soon as I know something."

Michael finally found his voice, "Thanks Frank." His first thought after hanging up was to call Sara, but after looking at the clock he realized she'd already be on her way to lunch. So instead he pick up the paperwork he'd been working on before Frank's call and tried to find a way to concentrate on the last thing his mind wanted to focus on.

~

Sara had already placed their order by the time Katie walked through the door and plopped herself down in the chair across from her. "Busy day?"

Throwing her purse down on the table she sighed, "Don't you know it. Did you already order?"

"Yea, the food is on its way. I figured you might be pressed for time."

"Well some things NEVER change," Katie laughed. "So enough about work. Tell me, what's been going on with you?"

Sara placed her napkin in her lap, "Working mostly. Well and trying to get things moving on the wedding." With this comment she watched her friend closely. Even though Katie had called a truce where Michael was concerned, she wasn't sure if bring up the wedding was a good idea. What if she'd changed her mind? But Katie surprised her.

"So how are the wedding plans coming?"

Just then their food arrived and Sara waited until the waiter left before continuing. "Things are going well so far. We found the perfect bed and breakfast outside of Chicago that we're looking at for the ceremony. I've been looking at dresses but haven't found anything I like yet."

Katie could hear the excitement in her friend's voice and she was glad. All she'd ever wanted for Sara was for her to be happy. She just hadn't thought Michael Schofield was going to fit that bill. But she was willing to concede that apparently she'd been wrong about that. She'd never seen her friend happier. "I'm glad things are going well. Have you set a date yet?"

With this Sara sobered a little. "No. We're still waiting for Michael's divorce to go through." Pausing for a moment to rearrange the food on her plate, "She's fighting him on it."

"Oh. I'm sorry Sara."

Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath. She wasn't going to allow thoughts of that woman who held so much of their future in her hands to dampen her mood. "Michael's lawyer is optimistic though. Says everything should be done by the end of the year so were hopeful," she concluded as she took another bite.  
"Well that's good news." Wanting to steer her friend back to the happier topic they'd been discussing, "Is there anything I can do to help? With the wedding I mean."

It took a moment for Katie's offer to fully set in. "Do you really want to? I mean I know how you feel about Michael."

Katie waived the comment away. "That's all in the past Sara. You're obviously happy and I'm happy for you." Pushing her plate aside she gave Sara her full attention. "So now tell me how I can help."


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

**Ok everyone. Here's the dinner with John and Becky. **

Michael hadn't been able to leave work right at five like he'd planned. So by the time he walked through the door at five forty-five, Sara was already dressed and ready to go. Seeing him flustered she gave a little chuckle, "Your late."

Putting his briefcase down by the desk he began to loosen his tie. "I know. Just give me a minute and I'll be ready."

Walking into the bedroom, he placed his tie and jacket into the closet and rushed into the bathroom for a quick shave. He worn a plain white shirt today but it would have to do for tonight because he didn't have time to change.

Taking one last look at himself in the mirror, he headed into the living room where Sara was waiting. Stopping just a few feet in front of her, "Ok. I think I'm ready," he smiled.

Closing the distance between them, she placed a hand on his chest, "Not quite yet…" Leaning forward, Sara brought her lips to his. After a moment she pulled back and looked up through lowered lashes. "That's better," she smiled. "Now were ready." Turning around she picked up her purse and a light jacket to ward off the evening chill and headed toward the door. Michael threw on a jacket as well and followed her.

~

They arrived with no time to spare. Hurrying up the walkway they stopped short once they reached the porch. After a moments pause, Michael reached over and rang the doorbell. Stepping back he placed a protective arm around Sara's waist and she leaned into him.

It wasn't long before they heard footsteps from inside and soon the door was swun open. "Michael. Sara. Come in, come in." John said with a bright smile. Sara moved first and Michael followed. Once in the foyer John closed the door and offered to take their jackets.

Jackets were safely tucked inside the closet they headed for the kitchen. Sara noticed that unlike last week, when summer had been the theme, now the house was fully decorated to celebrate the fall season with oranges, reds, and browns all around. They entered the kitchen and found Becky putting the finishing touches on dinner. As soon as she saw them, the welcoming smile Sara remembered from their first visit returned. "Welcome. I'm so glad you two could come tonight."

Sara returned the smile. It was pretty hard not to. "Is there anything we can do to help?" Sara asked.

"Oh no, dear. I think I've got everything under control." Turning back to the roast she was plating she addressed her husband, "John why don't you get the lemonade while I get everything out on the table."

John quickly moved into action and pulled four glasses out of the cabinet and brought them over to the table. He then went to the refrigerator and grabbed a large pitcher of what looked like fresh lemonade. "Would either of you like water instead? I can put a pitcher of that out as well."

Both quickly assured their host the lemonade was fine. Michael was slightly amused. He didn't think he'd ever been offered lemonade at a dinner party before tonight. Sara must have noticed his bemused expression because she reached over and have his hand a small squeeze. Giving a small squeeze in return he refocused his attention on his hosts.

Becky set the last dish on the table and motioned them over. "Well come on and have a seat or it'll get cold."

The table was round and the perfect size for four people. Sara sat next to Becky and Michael next to John and they began to dig in.

It'd been a while since Michael had had a home cooked meal. Neither he nor Sara did much cooking and although Linc did, when they all got together pizza was usually on order. Everything seemed to melt in his mouth and for a moment he was distracted enough to have missed Becky's question. "I'm sorry?" he said.

Becky seemed to be amused. "I asked how you like working for my husband."

A question he could answer. "I'm enjoying myself. It's been great to get back to what I love again."

"Yes I can imagine. John tells me your very good at what you do Michael. He says your one of the best structural engineers he's ever met."

It was her husband's turn to blush. And when Michael didn't comment either John jumped in, "Yes well… So Sara I heard you telling Matt and Vicki that you're a doctor. What's that like?"

Sara had been listening to Becky and although she appreciated the woman's directness and the obvious complement she was giving to Michael, she was glad John had changed the subject. "It can be very rewarding. I've always wanted to help people."

"Well I'm glad we have one like you who cares as a doctor here in our fair city." John smiled.

"Thank you."  
There was slight laul in the conversation after that while everyone finished their plates and desert was served. As Becky sat back down she asked, "So tell me, how did you two meet?" Both of them paused with forks halfway to their mouths. Becky noticed their reactions and glanced over at her husband, "Did I say something wrong?"

Sara was the first to recover. Setting her fork down she looked over at Becky, "No. It's just…"

"Sara was the doctor at Fox River when I was there," Michael finished.

"Oh." Becky said. "That's very interesting."

Thoughts of this inevitable conversation had been playing through Sara's mind for a while now. She knew it was something people would ask and why shouldn't they. When you met a couple and got to know them a little, the question was always how did you meet? Now it was here and Sara knew she had to make a decision. Was she going to let Michael's words just hang there or was she going to try and explain how she'd fell for this wonderful man beside her. Becky and John had been so nice to them so she heard herself say, "Actually it is interesting. He came to the infirmary everyday and let me tell you, he can be very charming when he wants to be."

Everyone at the table seemed to be relaxing except for Michael. "I can see that." John said with a smile. "He can definitely charm our clients. I've seen him do it."

Sara reached down and placed a comforting hand on Michael's leg. Confident these people wouldn't judge, she continued. "Yes well I'd never been flattered by an inmate's attentions before but even then I knew he was different."

John spoke up then, "I have to say the more I get to know you Michael, the harder it is for me to see you behind bars. You are an incredibly intelligent man."

"Thank you," was all Michael said. Sara could still feel the tension in his leg muscles. His face was impassive but she knew his mind had to be racing.

They finished desert and John asked Michael to come with him into his study. Sara stayed behind and helped Becky clean up.

"I'm sorry if I made you both uncomfortable Sara. I didn't know it was a sensitive subject." Becky said as she loaded the dishwasher.

"No it's ok," Sara assured her. "I mean it is a sensitive subject, but people are going to ask so it's just something we're going to have to get used to."

"Still. I'm sorry."

Sara just nodded. Leaning back on the counter she decided to ask a question of her own. "Do you know why your husband decided to give Michael a chance?"

Closing the door on the dishwasher, Becky turned to face her. "You mean when no one else would?"

"Yes." Said said meekly.

Becky smiled.


	37. Chapter 37

Michael had been quite all the way home. They'd just arrived at the apartment and he'd immediately went into the bedroom without saying a word. Putting her purse down, she followed. When she reached the bedroom door, she found him meticulously removing his clothes taking extra care to make sure each item was arranged correctly. To anyone else nothing would look awry, but she knew different.

Sara held her tongue and walked over to her dresser. Opening her top drawer her hand hovered over the new lingerie she'd bought Wednesday. She'd been strolling through the mall and wondered into Victoria's Secret thinking she might pick up a new bra, when her eyes had fallen on some baby dolls on a nearby display. After making a big deal out of Michael not wearing his t-shirts to bed, she felt a little silly wearing her own baggy t-shirts. So on a whim, she found three she liked and brought them home. Wanting it to be a surprise, she'd spent the morning washing them by hand and laying them out to dry.

Now she was wracked with indecision. Glancing over her shoulder at Michael he appeared to be lost in thought and she wasn't sure he even knew she was in the room. With an inward sigh she began to close the drawer and then stopped. No. She was not letting him do this. Wrapping her hand around her new emerald green nightie, she quickly removed her clothes and slipped the garment over her head. Heading into the bathroom she knew she'd caught his eye but kept right on walking.

~

Placing her toothbrush back in its holder she gave herself one final look in the mirror and headed back to the bedroom and Michael. He'd stripped down to his boxers and was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at some invisible spot on the carpet. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

Raising his head he met her eyes briefly and simply said, "No." Leveraging himself up off the bed, he brushed past her to take his turn in the bathroom.

Sara stood for a few minutes staring at the empty space where Michael had been. With a resigned sigh, she got into bed and waited for him to return.

A few minutes later, he appeared in the doorway. The look on his face told her he was deep in thought. She didn't know what was wrong. Tonight hadn't been perfect, granted, but it wasn't horrible either. Both Becky and John had been very nice to them and although the subject of their meeting had caused some tension, the rest of the evening had gone well in her opinion. Michael however, seemed to think otherwise it appeared.

When he entered the bedroom and made his way over to the bed, he knew Sara was watching him. Knew she wanted to know what was going on with him. He wanted to share this with her but for some reason he just couldn't, not yet. His mind was still trying to process it.

Getting into bed he felt her shift beside him. What she was wearing hadn't escaped his notice. How could it?

Instead of facing her, he pressed his head back into the pillow and stared at the ceiling. After a moment, he felt her move again. At first he thought she was moving away, but then he felt her hands on his chest and closed his eyes taking in the feel of her hands gently caressing him. It would be so easy to give into the distraction that she would so clearly provide, but he wouldn't use her like that so instead he placed his hand over hers to still her movement.

When Michael climbed into bed and all but ignored her, she'd fought with emotions of both anger and hurt welling up inside her. But instead of letting her emotions take over, she'd closed the gap between them and tried to offered comfort. Now his hand lay over hers in an obvious attempt to stop her ministrations. She tried to search his face, but he'd closed his eyes and in his face there was no hint of emotion. With a sigh, she laid her head down on his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist.

Feeling Sara stir, he'd released her hand only to feel her snuggling up to him. He couldn't bring himself to push her away. So instead, he brought his arm up to wrap around her silk covered body and just held her. Feeling her settle in, he lay there listening to her breathing until he heard it become deep and even with sleep.

It was only then he allowed his mind to get back to the thoughts plaguing him. Tonight after dinner, John had ushered him into his study and shown him the first project his firm had done. The pride in his voice had been almost overwhelming and Michael had gotten lost in the moment for a minute. That was until John turned to him and had asked him to take the lead on the next project.

The offer was huge, really. Not that he hadn't done anything like that before, because he had. He'd headed projects many times at his old firm, but this was different. He was different. Wasn't he? He'd only been there for a little over a month. Why would this man, who didn't know him at all trust him with this? His mind continued to process and reprocess the evening over and over looking for some sort of hidden meaning but he couldn't find one.

~

Michael turned his head to look at the clock. Two AM. Lost in his thoughts, four hours had already pasted and Michael knew from experience that sleep wouldn't be coming tonight for him. Glancing down at Sara, he sighed and pulled her a little closer. Maybe he should have talk to her tonight. Maybe then he wouldn't be laying here alone with this thoughts staring at the ceiling.  
As the first rays of sunlight began to peak over the horizon, he felt Sara stir. Releasing his hold on her, she rolled over to her side of the bed. Feeling the emptiness immediately, he waited until he heard her breath again take on the restful deepness of sleep before he slid silently from bed.

~

The persistent beeping of the alarm woke her from the deep pulls of sleep. Reluctantly she sat up and turned off the annoying noise. Once the quite returned, she realized Michael was no longer beside her nor was he in the room. Commanding her body into movement, her feet met the floor and made their way into the bathroom. He wasn't there either.

Sara leaned over the sink and splashed some water on her face before heading out into the apartment to find Michael. She had an hour and a half before she had to be into work and knew he needed to talk to someone. Last night she let things be but this morning she was going to find out what exactly was going on with him. She found him sitting at the computer.

As soon as he saw her enter the room he stood placing his hands in his pockets, the look on his face full of apprehension. Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around his waist letting her head come to rest on his chest. She heard a woosh of air escape him as his hands came up to surround her.

They both stood unmoving, holding each other. It was Michael who spoke first, "Would you like me to make some breakfast while you get ready?"

"No," she said, pulling back to look into his face. "Did you get any sleep last night?" Seeing his jaw tighten, she'd gotten her answer, "I didn't think so." She continued to search his face, looking for the answers she knew he would never reveal unless he wanted to. "Michael…"

Before she could finish, he stepped back, "I'm sorry. I should have talked to you last night. You were right." He sighed, walked over to lean on the back of the couch, and slid his hands back into his pockets before he continued, "John asked me to head up the Davis project."

Waiting to hear the bad news she'd been waiting for, it took her a moment to register that he'd finished. "And?"

"And. Why?"

"Why what?"

Clearly frustrated, he began pacing. "Why would he do that Sara? I mean he hardly knows me? Why would he trust me with a sixty one million dollar project?"

Sixty one MILLION? Ok. Breath Sara, she told herself. When she looked back up, Michael was again leaning against the back of the couch waiting for her response. Walking over, she stood facing him and brought her hand up to cup his face, "Maybe because he knows you'll do a good job." She said softly. There was clearly doubt in his eyes. "I talked to Becky last night when you and John disappeared into the study. I asked her why John hired you." Bringing her hand down to his chest they locked eyes, "She told me it hadn't been an easy decision. They'd both talked it over and John even called your old firm. In the end, he hired you because he said your work spoke for itself. Everyone he'd talk to said you were the best structural engineer they'd ever worked with. As she put it, it was something he just couldn't ignore. He has faith in you." She ended softly.

His expression had softened but she could tell he was still having trouble believing he was really being given a second chance. "Maybe you should take a leap of faith yourself." With that she leaned in and gave him a breathy kiss on the lips. Trailing her hand down his torso as she stepped back, she gave him a smile and walked back into the bedroom to get ready for work.

A few minutes later, she heard him enter the bedroom. His footsteps were almost silent but she felt him as he came closer.

Sliding his arms around her silk covered body from behind, he took her in. He didn't know what his life would be like if not for Sara. Feeling the thin fabric move beneath his fingers as she turned in his arms, he loosened his hold. Facing him, her lips found his again and he pulled her closer. All he wanted was to let go and become lost in the warmth that was Sara, but she needed to get to work. Pulling back slightly he brought his fingers up to caress her face, "Interested in that breakfast now?"

Sara stepped back from his embrace, letting her hands slide down his torso until they met his hands. Looking up at him through veiled lashes, she shook her head no. "I might be open to share my shower though."

Michael swallowed. It was taking all of his control not to lay her down on the bed and now she was suggesting…  
Seeing the heat flare in his eyes, she didn't wait for a response. Her fingers remained entwined with his as she stepped back. A brief flicker of indecision crossed his face and then it was gone and he was following her lead as they disappeared into the bathroom closing the door behind them.


	38. Chapter 38

Monday – December 22

Michael arrived at the office early as usual. Opening his desk, he pulled out the paperwork he'd need to start the day and turned on his computer. As he waited for it to boot up, he adjusted the papers on his desk. And then he adjusted them again. He just couldn't quite get them to sit in the right position.

Realizing what he was doing, he stopped himself. This is what he did, what he always had done, when he was nervous about a situation. He found some detail to focus on and put his whole energy into it. The problem was, the thing he was nervous about rarely ever just went away. And what was on his mind this morning wouldn't either.

Sara had been mentioning for the last month how they should invite Matt and Vicki over. He'd been finding ways to put it off until last night when she'd cornered him. He'd agreed to ask Matt and Vicki to come over for New Years Eve. If they didn't have plans of course. He was hoping they'd have plans. Unable to explain to himself why he was nervous about them coming over, he'd been unable to explain to Sara who'd finally had enough of his tap dancing. Her voice rang in his ears, "Michael they've been nothing but nice to both of us. It's the least we can do. It's what friends are supposed to do. Don't you want that? Friends?"

That was the question. Did he want friends? On some level he remembered what that was like, having friends, but that was so long ago. Could he have that again? He didn't have any more time to ponder the question though as Matt walked through the door.

Matt smiled. "Morning Michael. Guess your excited since this is your last day this week. The rest of us are here for another day." He laughed.

Michael cleared his throat and walked over to Matt. Placing his hands in his pockets he began, "Just hoping to get through the week."

"Oh that's right. Your getting divorced tomorrow." Matt lowered his voice to a whisper for this last part, even though they were the only ones in the room. He'd been amazed Michael had shared with him one day about his soon to be ex-wife, but he doubted anyone else at the firm had been privy to this information. "Your not expecting any problems are you?"

"No. I mean at least my lawyer isn't."

Matt smiled. "Well that's good. I know you and Sara are in a holding pattern until that's done."

Michael shifted on his feet. "Yea we are." Clearing his throat again, "Uh Matt, Sara and I were wondering if…you and Vicki…had any plans…for New Years Eve."

"Uh no. Not really. I mean we usually just stay in and have a little celebration of our own watching the ball drop in Time Square. Were not really party people." Matt paused and looked at Michael. "Why?"

"Would you like to come over to our place? Sara thought…"

Matt didn't let Michael finish. With a large smile on his face, "We'd love to. Vicki's been talking ever since the barbeque about having you guys over so this would be perfect. Just let me give her a call really quick."

As Matt reached for the phone to call his wife, Michael made his way back to his desk as his other co-workers started filing in. He heard Matt talking quietly on the phone. A few minutes later, Matt hung up and turned to Michael. "We're on. What time?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What time do you want us to be there?"

"Oh." Michael thought about it. Sara would probably want to have dinner. "How about six. We can order pizza or something."

Matt laughed. "Six will work. And pizza's fine." With that both men turned their attention to the days work ahead of them.

Pulling his briefcase onto his desk, Michael looked down at his watch. It was three thirty and he needed to get going. He'd hoped to not have to take any work home with him over the Christmas break but that wasn't going to happen. He still had at least an hour or two of work to do and he had to meet his parole officer in thirty minutes.

Sorting through the paperwork on his desk, he put the items he'd need into his briefcase and filed the rest away in his desk. Satisfied he'd gotten everything, he snapped the clasp closed on his case and reached behind him to grab his suit jacket.

As he turned back around, he saw the new receptionist Lisa walk into the office only to stop short right in front of his desk. "Oh," she said. "I thought you'd already gone."

Michael gave the young girl a smile. She'd only been there for a couple of weeks but he liked her. She was good at giving him his messages in a timely fashion unlike the prior woman. A month ago he'd received a direct call from the Ms. Halley, Mr. Davis's assistant, saying her boss had been trying to reach him for two days and had left him several messages. He'd of course apologized to her and gotten Mr. Davis's questions answered immediately. When he'd finished his phone call however, he'd went to confront Molly and find out why he hadn't been given his messages. She simply said she'd forgotten and he'd very firmly told her that was not acceptable.

The next morning he'd been asked into John's office to inquire about what had happened. In the end, Molly had been asked to come in as well and explain her side of the situation. John ended up agreeing with Michael and felt he was justified in his agitation at not getting messages from a client in a reasonable amount of time. Michael didn't know if he'd ever forget her response. She looked at Michael and then at John, "I just can't do this anymore. I..I can't work with criminals. I just can't." And with that, she left his office, packed up her things, and had not returned.

Reaching back to get his over coat, "Nope. I'm still here. At least for a minute or two more."

"Oh. Mr. Davis just called and said he had a few questions regarding the e-mail you sent him this morning. I told him I'd thought you'd already gone but he sounded like it was kind of important so I was going to have someone else give him a call back."

Lisa handed him the message and he glanced back down at his watch. He needed to leave, but he couldn't just let his client wait until after the holiday. So with a sigh he thanked Lisa for the message and reached down to pick up his phone. "Hello Bill. It's Michael Scofield. I heard you had some questions…"

By the time Michael walked into the drab government building where he met with his parole officer it was four ten. He was ten minutes late. Outside Mr. Sonksen's door, he slipped out of his overcoat, slung it over his arm, took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." was the curt reply.

Michael opened the door and stepped inside. Continuing to look down at the papers in front of him, the older man said dryly, "Your late." Finally looking up at his parolee and setting his pencil down, "Well are you going to waste more of my time or are you going to come in and sit down. And shut the door."

Closing the door, Michael walked in and sat down, but said nothing. "So Mr. Scofield, you do realize that part of your parole means you have to show up for these little meetings of ours. On time."

"Yes sir."

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Looking down at his watch, "Your twelve minutes late. Do you have an explanation?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Sonksen. I had to return a call from a client before I was able to leave."

At first there was no response from his parole officer. Then he heard the man chuckle. It was a new sound as the man across from him had never even broken a smile in his presence over the last six months. "Well Mr. Scofield, I'm inclined to believe you. Given you've been nothing but punctual in the past. And your not exactly one of my "normal" parolees, now are you?" Shifting the papers on his desk he continued. "Plus I'm feeling generous today what with the holiday and all. So is there anything new to report? I see you're scheduled for court tomorrow."

Although Michael shouldn't be surprised his parole officer knew he was due in court tomorrow, the fact he'd brought it up surprised him. "Yes sir." Michael had learned from previous experience he'd have to provide more than just agreement. "My divorce is being finalized tomorrow."

Mr. Sonksen just nodded. "And how are your current living arrangements? No changes?"

"No sir. No changes."

"Job is going well?"

"Yes. Very well."

"Good." Mr. Sonksen became silent again as he made some notations on the papers in front of him. The questions, aside from the one about his court date tomorrow, were always the same. "Well if you don't have anything else to tell me Mr. Scofield, we're done here. I have other people to see."

Michael got up from his chair, "Oh and Mr. Scofield…lets make sure were not late next week shall we?" With a nod, Michael quietly left the office.

Heading out of the building, Michael rushed to his car. Ducking inside out of the bitter Chicago cold, he glanced down at his watch again. It was already after four thirty. He was going to have hurry if he was going to pick up Sara's present before picking up her at the hospital. Quickly putting his car in drive, he headed towards the jewelry store.

Michael pulled up to the employee entrance of the hospital with two minutes to spare. He had no idea how he'd managed to pull that off though. When he'd arrived at the jewelry store, luckily everything had been ready for him. All he'd had to do was sign for the item and be on his way. It was now tucked safely in his left coat pocket until he had time to stash it away once he arrived home.

As soon as she came out of the building, he saw her. Her auburn hair was blowing in the chilly December wind. Head thrown back in laughter, she was talking to her friend Mary. Seeing her turn her head in his direction, her eyes took on a warm tone the minute she saw him and she smiled that beautiful smile full of love that was only for him.

A few feet from the car the women stopped to say their goodbyes. After a brief hug, Mary turned toward the parking lot and her car. Sara opened the car door letting a breeze of cold air into the heated warmth. Quickly closing the door behind her, she grabbed her seat belt and turned to snap it in place. Hearing the click letting her know the belt was secure, she began to turn back to the front only to be stopped by Michael's hand on her arm.

A split second later, his mouth was on hers; the sound of her breath leaving her lungs audible in the small space. Bringing her hand up to lay on his chest, she eagerly responded to the spontaneous kiss.

He moved his hand up her arm to frame her face. Wanting desperately to take their kiss to the next level but aware of where they were, he pulled back slightly resting his forehead on hers.

She felt the absence of his lips immediately; the warm air of the car no replacement where his soft lips had been. She slid her hand up to cup the side of his face, mirroring his action by using her thumb to caress his cheek. Letting her thumb travel over the lips that had so recently been pressing against hers, she allowed herself to get lost in the depth of emotion she found in his eyes.

Just then she heard some commotion behind her as a group of nurses, talking and laughing, brought them back to reality. Both reluctantly moved back to their seats as Michael put the car in motion.

Leaning her head back against the headrest, Sara closed her eyes. Sometimes she still felt this life she was leading with Michael was a dream. Lost in her thoughts she heard him ask her what she wanted for dinner. "How about Italian? We haven't had that in a while." Then Sara smiled, "Well that is unless you count pizza."

Never taking his eyes off the road, he smiled back. "I know the perfect place." Three blocks later, he turned down a small alley heading toward a small Italian Bistro he'd frequented years ago.


	39. Chapter 39

After dinner, they headed home. Conversation had been light enough, they'd talked mostly about her day and Matt and Vicki's agreement to come for New Year Eve, but she could see the worry behind his eyes and didn't think it had anything to do with their guests.

Tomorrow he went before a judge to put another part of his past behind him. It was one more obstacle they had to overcome in order to be together how they wanted. They hadn't seen or heard from Nika over the past two months except through Frank. Everything seemed to be fine for tomorrow but she knew Michael and, if truth be told, she wouldn't be completely happy until the judge signed on the dotted line herself.

As soon as they walked through the door, they heard the phone ringing. Looking at the caller ID, Michael saw it was Linc's. "Hello?"

"Hi Uncle Mike." LJ answered. But before Michael could say anything else, LJ asked, "Is Sara there?"

Maybe he should have been hurt by this, but he wasn't. Sara and LJ had formed a special bond since being held captive together. "Yea sure. Just a minute, I'll get her."

Handing the phone to Sara, he excused himself and went into the bedroom deciding this was a good time to find a hiding place for her gift.

Sara took the phone from Michael and sat down on the couch. "Hey LJ. How are you?"

"I'm ok." He said, sounding anything but ok to Sara.

"You sure? You sound a little down." Then it hit her. "Jessica left today."

She heard LJ let out a sigh from the other end of the line, "Yea. How did you remember that? Dad didn't even remember."

Sara gave a small chuckle, "Comes with being a girl I guess." Knowing she was stating the obvious, she said it anyway, "She'll be back LJ."

LJ knew she was right, although there was a part of him based on his past experiences that told him otherwise. "I know. That's not…well that's not what's bothering me, Sara. She's going to tell her parents about me. What if…what if they try to come between us? Stop her from seeing me?"

Ahhh. So this was what was bothering him. It made sense given Jessica's initial reaction to the family history. "I'm sure everything will be fine LJ. You just have to have a little faith, remember? Besides, once they get to know you they're going to love you." Sara let the smile she had on her face fill her voice, "You're a Burrows. Charm tends to run in your family."

Sara heard a small laugh escape him and then he became serious again. "Thanks."

"Your welcome." Shifting in her seat Sara settled in to take his mind off missing Jess. "Did you and your dad finish the decorating?…"

Their phone conversation lasted for over an hour. By the time she'd hung up the phone it was almost eight thirty. Michael hadn't rejoined her in the living room, so pulling herself off the couch she went to find him.

He'd removed his tie and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his dress shirt. He was lounging against the headboard reading. Appearing to be fully engrossing in his book, she turned to leave. "How's LJ?" His voice brought her up short.

Turning back around, she answered him, "He's fine. Just missing Jessica."

He nodded in agreement. "That's understandable. They've been inseparable for months."

Closing the book, he met her eyes. They were more troubled than before she noticed. Pushing herself off the doorframe, she made her way over to sit beside him on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, she softly brushed her fingers against his and entwined their hands, her eyes never leaving his.

Realizing she'd read his mood, his eyes drifted shut, "I'm ok Sara."

She didn't say anything. With her free hand she removed the book from his lap and placed in on the bed. Standing, she brought her leg to rest on the other side of his hip straddling him.

Michael brought his other hand to rest on her hip. For the longest time, she did nothing as he waited for her to make the next move. After what seemed like endless minutes, Sara reached down and brought his hand up and placed it over her heart. With her own free hand, she leaned forward and placed her hand over his heart.

Still she is silent. Waiting for him, he knows. Closing his eyes again, he takes in the feel of her so close to him. The love she is clearly expressing. In that moment, he has a strong desire to kiss her. Reacting, he crunches his stomach muscles and sits up quickly making contact with her willing lips.

He wants to lose himself in those lips as he's done so many times over the last few months. But although she is responding to him, he knows she wants more. She wants him to share. He's reluctant to pull away from her and takes his time, leaving feather light kisses at both sides of her mouth before sitting back against the headrest.

Hand now caressing her beautiful red tresses, he tries to focus for her. Finally he speaks, "I'm a little worried about tomorrow."

The raising of her left eyebrow tells him what she thinks of his answer. With a smile tugging at his lips, "Ok. I'm more than a little worried about tomorrow. I want everything to go perfect. For it to be done. I'm just afraid something will go wrong and it won't."

Instead of responding with words, Sara leaned in and gave him a small kiss. "Thank you," she whispered. Instead of sitting back up, she moved slightly and settled in beside him laying her head on his shoulder. Wrapping her in his arms, he held her body as close to his as their clothing would allow.

When Sara spoke again it was to ask how his day had been. A simple question, she thought until she'd felt the tension in his body. "What happened?"

Hearing him take a breath, she was prepared for him to tell her "nothing". Instead he surprised her by recapping his phone call with Mr. Davis and his meeting with his parole officer. "Oh Michael I'm sorry. Everything's alright with your parole right? I mean he isn't going to do anything because you were late one time is he?"

Michael's fingers were aimlessly running through her curls again. "I don't think so. He said he believed me as to why I was late. I think if something was wrong, I would be back in prison by now."

Sara sat up at this. "Michael don't even joke about something like that."

Seeing her distress, he immediately sobered again. Pulling her back down against him, he placed a kiss in her hair. "I'm sorry Sara. I'm not going anywhere if I can help it."

"You'd better not. I have plans for you, you know."

"Hmmm. And what kind of plans would those be?" taking the opportunity to lighten the mood.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see." He heard a small giggle escape from her and knew she was alright. His breath came a little easier now and holding her close he enjoyed the comfort that only Sara could give.


	40. Chapter 40

It was almost twelve when Michael parked his car and headed toward the courthouse. He was meeting with his lawyer at a café for lunch just across the street to go over everything. They had to be in court at one. Frank assured him everything was in order but Michael wanted to go over everything one more time just to make sure.

The icy wind whipped around him as he made his way across the street and into the café. To his surprise Frank was already there. Shrugging out of his overcoat, Michael slid into the booth adjacent.

"Did you bring everything?" Michael asked.

Frank smiled at his client. "Of course. That's what your paying me for remember. Here's everything," he said as he slid a large folder over to Michael.

Before he could open the folder the waitress came to take their order. As soon as she was gone however, he dove into the material in front of him. He was still reading when she came back with their food.

Frank had been Michael's lawyer long enough to know this was normal for his client so he just sat back and began eating. Michael however, didn't even glace at his food until he closed the file. Looking up, he pushed the file back to Frank and reached for his lunch. "I'm not a lawyer, but everything seems to be there." After another moment Michael added, "I didn't mean to question you, it's just…"

But Frank stopped him. "It ok."

The rest of the meal was finished quickly as neither one of them wanted to be late.

Michael walked into the courtroom and saw Nika already sitting behind the large desk with her lawyer. When she saw him, the look on her face was one of disgust. A very different look from the last time he'd seen her in his apartment.

Frank and Michael took their seats and a few minutes later the judge was entering the courtroom.

Less than thirty minutes later, Michael was walking out of the courthouse and back to his car. It was done. He was divorced. Once getting behind the wheel of his car, he sat there a moment to take it all in. In a lot of ways he couldn't believe this was real. He'd thought he would be paying for the rest of his life for breaking Lincoln out of prison and all that followed, but now…now his life was beginning to make sense again. The woman he'd married to help him escape, but had never loved, was now behind him. He only had six more months and eight days left to serve on his parole and then he would officially be a free man again. And best of all, he was engaged to Sara. It all seemed surreal to him. There was still a part of him that felt as if he didn't deserve this but that was changing with Sara's help. He trusted her. And she was showing him, little by little, that it was ok to be happy and enjoy life again.

Starting the car, he headed for home.

Sara hadn't known what to expect when she'd went to pick up her car. All the man told her was that it was ready. Since Michael had already gone, she'd called Lincoln to take her. All was fine until the man behind the counter had told her that what they'd fixed today would be $526.39, however, she needed another $2,000.00 worth of work done. $2,000.00!

Sara hadn't known what to say so she paid the man the money she owed and took her keys. When she'd come out of the shop, Lincoln was waiting on her. She must not have been masking her shock very well because the first words out of his mouth were, "What's wrong?"

It was too cold to stand outside and talk so she slipped back inside his car and explained what the man had said. "Would you like me to take a look at it?"

Hope bloomed in Sara's chest. "Would you do that?"

Lincoln gave her one of his winning smiles, "Of course." A little more seriously he added, "I might not be able to fix it, but at least I can tell you if it's worth fixing."

Sara reached over and gave her future brother-in-law a kiss on the cheek. "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

A small blush appeared on Lincoln's cheeks. "Your welcome. Would you like me to follow you home?"

Sara looked down at her watch. "No. That's ok. It's only a few miles so I should be ok. And Michael should be home soon. I hope."

Lincoln lifted an eyebrow at this. "Oh don't look at me that way," she said. "I mean I know he'll be home. It's just…well I'm hoping everything went…smoothly."

The pauses in her comment made him wonder why she didn't think it would. "Any reason why it shouldn't?"

"No. I guess not." Sara had no idea if Michael had told his brother about Nika's visit and she wasn't going to be the one to tell him if he hadn't. "Thank you again for the ride Lincoln. We'll see you Thursday." And with that she got out of the car and made her way to her vehicle.

Sara arrived home to find Michael pacing a hole in the floor. When he saw her enter he scanned her from head to toe, looking for any sign that something was wrong.

"Is everything ok?" she finally asked when he didn't say anything.

At odds with himself over how to respond, he remained silent. He'd been so scared when he'd come home to find her gone. There'd been no note and the first thing that had crossed his mind was that there'd been a price for him to pay and Sara was it, again. Knowing that wasn't a logical answer he'd racked his brain for a reason but his mind just couldn't focus. When she'd walked in he hadn't known what to do, how to react. When he finally got his body moving however, it was to cross the room in giant strides and pull her tightly to him.

Sara wrapped her arms around him but she was growing concerned so she repeated her question. "Michael is everything alright? Did something happen in court?"

Michael slowly pulled back, but didn't release her. His eyes were brimming with tears although she could tell he was trying to hold them back.

Shaking his head, he finally answered. "No. Everything went fine. It's done."

Bringing her hand up to caress his face, "So why are you upset."

Closing his eyes for a minute to compose himself, he tried to explain. "I know it's silly but when I came home and you weren't here…I panicked."

"Your right. It is silly." She said mater of factly then softened her tone, "You know I'm not going anywhere. Lincoln took me to pick up my car."

He pulled her close again. This time Sara wound her arms around his neck and just held him. They'd made amazing progress but it seemed there were moments like this where he still lacked confidence in their future.

They stood like that for a while, just reassuring each other of the others presence and love. Finally pulling back, his hands found hers, "I picked up some Christmas movies I thought we could watch."

Sara's eyes lit up at this. She hadn't sat down to watch Christmas movies since before her mom died. "What did you get?"

"The classics of course." He said with a hint of a smile. Taking a step backward, he didn't relinquish her hands and she followed him to the couch to begin what turned out to be a Christmas movie marathon.


	41. Chapter 41

Sara rolled over onto her back and felt the morning sun blanket her face. The sun was already making its way high in the sky. They'd been up late last night watching movies. Remembering, she smiled to herself. She hadn't done something like that in well…she didn't know if she'd ever done something like that. When she was little, she remembered sitting down to watch a Christmas movie as a kid but nothing to match what they did yesterday.

They'd made it through five movies although somewhere during the last one she'd fallen asleep. Reaching up to stretch, her smile from a minute before returned in full bloom. Cuddling with Michael on the couch last night had been just as she'd imagined and she'd fallen asleep with her head on his chest and her feet tucked up beside her. She vaguely remembered him pulling the blanket off the back of the couch and tucking it around her as she drifted off. With no memory of coming to bed, she realized he must have carried her in.

Turning to her side, she reached over to him but his space was empty and cold. Had he not come to bed last night? Growing concerned, she threw the covers off her still fully clothed body and hurried from the room to find him.

Michael had been so engrossed in his work, he didn't hear her get up and he'd been trying to listen. He'd not wanted her to wake up alone this morning, but seeing her walk into the living room and take a seat on the couch beside him, he realized that's exactly what had happened. A frown creased his brow in disappointment.

Sara wasn't sure what the cause of the sudden frown was to his features but leaning in she placed a reverent kiss on his lips. "Morning." She smiled, hoping to see a smile reflected back at her. Instead she got just a hint of a smile as Michael turned back to his work and hurried to put everything away.

"What are you working on?"

Michael paused at what he was doing and then continued as he answered her. "Just a few things I needed to get done this week for work. Nothing that can't wait till the weekend though." Putting the last piece of paper back into his briefcase, he set it on the floor and turned back to her. Giving her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "So are you ready to start the day?"

His question surprised her. "Do we have somewhere to be today?"

Her comment only increased his smile. Bringing a hand up to caress her cheek, "We have lots of places to be today, Miss Tancredi." Mimicking her earlier actions, he placed a soft kiss on her slightly parted lips. "Why don't you go get changed and I'll put some coffee on." With that, he got up and began heading toward the kitchen leaving Sara alone on the couch. Turning he said, "Oh and Sara, dress warm," and then he disappeared into the kitchen.

Several hours later Sara realized the meaning of his words. First, he'd taken her to a beautiful restaurant to have brunch. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was filled with the holiday. Next they'd strolled down Michigan Avenue, hand in hand, and took in all the window displays. And about an hour ago, they'd arrived at Millennium Park where they'd rented some skates for the ice rink and had been trying to stay on their feet.

Sara hadn't skated for years and Michael admitted this was a first for him. They were having so much fun when they made their way over to get some hot chocolate from a street vendor. Suddenly Michael stopped. Sara looked up at him and then followed his eyes to the vendor's cart they'd been heading towards. It took only a moment for her to realize what was going on. One of the guards from the prison, Jimmy she thought his name was. He and is family were all now staring directly at them, apprehension in their eyes.

After several more moments, Jimmy quickly moved his family in the opposite direction. Sara could see the children protesting the decision and for a moment felt bad that their day of fun had been ruined due to their parent's reaction. Michael still hadn't moved. Turning to face him she reached up to cup his cold face.

It took a moment for his eyes to refocus on her and the present but eventually he came back to her. She saw the words forming and stopped him before he spoke them. "Don't be sorry Michael. You have just as much right to be here as they do." When his tortured eyes didn't soften she added, "Do you wish you wouldn't have brought me here? Skated together for the last hour?"

Michael closed his eyes. He knew what she was trying to do, he did. And on many levels he was grateful, however that didn't change the guilt he was feeling. He was the reason why that family was leaving, why those kids weren't getting to do what they'd come here to do. Opening his eyes he looked back down at her. More than anything he wanted to see her happy and he'd wanted this to be a special day for them. Leaning down, Michael pulled her to him and kissed her with all the emotion that was built up inside him. Sara matched his aggressive kiss with one of her own, slipping her hands around his neck.

By the time they pulled apart, Sara's head was spinning and both she and Michael were breathing hard. Michael remained close and took her face in his hands. "No," was all he said and it took her a moment to remember her question. As soon as she did, a smile appeared. "Good." Taking a step back out of his embrace, "Think we can get the hot chocolate you promised me now?" Sara didn't wait for him to answer; instead she turned and headed back toward the vendor cart.

After the hot chocolate, they headed back to the main strip. They'd stopped at a small coffee shop and gotten a bite since it had been hours since their brunch that morning. Sara thought their day would soon be over. Michael however had other ideas. He'd spent the last few weeks planning this day and he had a few more surprises in store.

She'd been daydreaming a little as they walked hand in hand down the street. Taking in the Christmas decorations, she was a little startled when Michael stopped abruptly. At first she thought they'd stopped in front of a large hotel, but then she realized he was looking out toward the street. Her eyes fell on a small horse drawn carriage.

Beside the carriage was an older gentleman dressed in a warm black coat. The smile on his face was warm and open. With her hand still in his, Michael walked toward the man. As they approached the smile on the man's face got bigger. "This must be Sara."

He knew who she was. But who was he? She'd never met him before but it was obvious by Michael's next words that he was indeed familiar with the man. "Sara I'd like you to meet Harry. Harry this is my fiancé, Sara."

Harry bent deep at the waist in a formal bow. "It's very nice to meet you Sara." As he straightened, he addressed Michael. "Everything's ready." Michael nodded and Harry motioned for them to climb up.

Following Harry's lead, Michael raised their joined hands to his lips, "After you."

A little blown away by what was going on, Sara stepped up into the carriage and took a seat. Michael followed. Harry handed the couple a blanket to lay across their lap and a thermos of coffee. As Michael tucked the blanket around them, she caught his eye and brought her hand up to skim his face. He leaned into her caress and smiled. Feeling the carriage begin to move, she dropped her hand and he pulled her against his warm body as they headed down the street.

Sara was vaguely aware they were heading out of downtown but she'd been enjoying the feel of Michael beside her and relishing the wonderful day they'd had together that when they stopped moving, it took a moment to register. When she looked at where they'd stopped a small frown crossed her face. They were at a cemetery. Not something one would associate with Christmas.

Looking up at Michael and seeing his mixed expression made her realize exactly where they were. This was where his mother was buried. Christina Rose Scofield. They'd talked about her of course. Lincoln had told her they'd used to come to their mother's grave on Christmas so Sara assumed they'd be visiting her tomorrow now that the family was all together again. She was a little confused as to why they were here now. Before she could ask, however, Michael was stepping down out of the carriage and reaching out for her hand.

Once her feet were firmly planted on the ground, Michael began to walk them through the graveyard. Finally Michael stopped and released her hand. He walked silently to the gravestone and knelt down. Reaching out his hand, he traced the letters forming the words Christina Rose Scofield.

Sara just stood watching him. He remained unmoving, just staring at the stone in front of him. Then she heard it. It was barely audible, but it was there. He was speaking. Speaking but not to her, to his mom. She'd been huddling against the cold but seeing this warmed her from the inside out. Michael had loved his mother and he still did. She would love to have met the woman who'd help to make this incredible man.

She saw him shift his weight and then he held out his hand to her. Moving forward and lacing her fingers in his, she knelt beside him. The next words out of his mouth nearly brought her to tears. "Mom. This is Sara."

They stayed like that for several more minutes but no other words were spoken. Eventually Michael stood and Sara followed. They walked back to the carriage in silence and got in. Harry started the carriage moving again and Sara moved in close to Michael. Looking up, she caught his eye. There was sadness there but also another emotion Sara couldn't quite read. "Thank you for introducing me to your mother."

He must have been waiting for her reaction, because as soon as the words left her mouth she saw the muscles in his face relax and the clouded expression in his eyes disappeared. Michael placed a small kiss on her lips and pulled her head to rest against his shoulder. Night was falling and the temperature was dropping. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she delighted in his warmth and the warm feeling that spread from the inside out knowing the gift Michael had just given to her by sharing his mother.


	42. Chapter 42

Christmas morning Sara was delighted to find Michael still in bed beside her when she woke. In fact, he was still asleep which was rare. So many times over the last few months, she'd wake up to find him watching her. When he'd see her eyes open, he'd reach out and pull her to him for a good morning kiss that would knock the breath right out of her.

This morning it was her turn. She lay on her side for several minutes and just took in the beauty that was Michael. He'd let his hair grow out a little for the winter. It was as long as she'd ever seen it, although it was still short. His face was fully relaxed as he slept, another aspect of Michael which was rare to see. His mind was constantly working on something it seemed.

As her eyes moved down his body, she saw where his skin disappeared behind his ink. Muscles she'd felt under her fingers many times weren't easily seen behind the camouflage. She itched to feel those muscles, but held back. It wasn't often she got this unshielded view of him. Moving her eyes lower still, she saw where the blanket fell around his hips and tangled with his legs.

Finally unable to resist, she moved so that her body was only inches from his. She could feel his breath on her face. Reaching out, Sara used the tips of her fingers to delicately begin tracing the lines that covered his heart. It'd been a while since she'd taken the time to do this. The drawings on his chest were so detailed, so complicated; so beautiful, just like the man himself.

Smiling, she remembered yesterday. It'd been a wonderful day, ending with Harry bringing them back to their apartment where Michael had yet another surprise for her. He'd led her directly into the bathroom where he began running a bath. Slowly he'd undressed her and then himself.

Michael had spent the rest of the night pampering her, washing and then massaging every inch of her. Whenever she'd tried to reach out and reciprocate, he'd pull back looking at her with that sly grin of his and tell her she was spoiling his present. Finally she'd given in and let him have his way. The night ended in him making love to her and them falling asleep in each other's arms. A slight movement brought her out of her reverie.

Michael had been awake the moment she'd touched him. Living in a prison for over eighteen months taught you to sleep light if you wanted to survive. He'd been trying to keep still, however, and he'd been doing pretty good until her hand began to stray a little lower and then a little lower. She was still quite a ways away from what he hoped was her ultimate destination but the thought of her holding him, caressing him had been his undoing.

He saw her raise veiled eyes up to met his. The shy smile she gave at seeing him awake made him swallow hard. They'd been together long enough now to know what they could do to each other.

When Sara looked up at him, she saw the heat in his eyes and felt a slight shudder vibrate through him when she'd gave him a small smile. She realized once he'd moved where her hand was trailing. It hadn't been her intent. Well maybe it had, smiling again to herself.

Taking advantage of his already aroused state, she looked back up at him and held his eyes as her hand slowly continued lower. When it met the sheet, she flattened her hand and slipped first her fingers and then her hand under the thin barrier. She felt Michael turn slightly to give her better access. Her hand found its mark as she wrapped her fingers around him and squeezed slightly.

Michael's eyes closed momentarily as he sucked in a deep breath to steady himself. Both of them were still naked from their lovemaking the night before and he was trying not to just flip her onto her back and take over. She'd positioned herself so she could still firmly hold on to him but was also able to reach the line where his inked skin met the skin that was still bare with her mouth. He felt her lips on his chest and then her tongue. Looking down to meet her eyes again, he found she was now tracing the lines of his tattoo with her lips. After a few delicious minutes, he knew what she was doing. She was slowly making her way down his chest, tracing each picture as she went.

She felt him bring his hands up to surround her face. His breathing was getting heavier the lower she went. It'd taken her a month or so to realize just what a gift Michael was giving her by letting her do this to him. He was always in control but at times like this, times when he would let her make love to his body, he gave up control to her. He let his guard down. And although she hadn't thought it was possible, it had made her love him even more.

Michael knew what was coming before it happened. He closed his eyes tight and took in a deep breath to prepare himself. It didn't help, it never did. His hands tightened on her scalp both trying to hold her in place and pull her away at the same time. Feeling her mouth close around him, she French kissed him and his hips rose to get closer to her tongue.

Suddenly the heat disappeared. Michael's eyes flew open. Looking down he saw Sara staring back at him with mischief in her eyes. Once she knew she had his attention, she hand walked her way up his body and raised herself to straddle him.

With her legs bracketing his hips, she slowly sat down. Closing her eyes, a low moan escaped her lips as she slid down onto him. Gripping her hips, he crunched his stomach muscled to pulled himself into a sitting position.

When Sara opened her eyes again, the mischief had been replaced by pure heat. Closing the few inched separating them, Michael's pulled her to him. Naked chest to naked chest, his lips found hers.

Despite the heat she'd seen reflected in his eyes, his kiss was firm but not aggressive. His tongue was licking and exploring, not demanding. He was holding her to him but not letting her move like she so desperately wanted to.

Finally a soft moan came from her throat and she heard a low growl in response. Seconds later, he ended the kiss and she found him looking at her with more love and desire than she'd ever thought possible. Ever thought she deserved. He shifted his hands slightly and began to move them both slowly, deliberately.

Her breathing was coming harder and so was his but still he kept the same pace, not allowing her to increase it. He shifted slightly; bringing is knees off the bed and leaned her back. With one hand still on her hip he continued his movement, pulling her down onto him. With the other he reached between them and began to stroke her.

Sara's eyes grew wide as his hand moved over her sensitive flesh. Her lungs felt like they couldn't get enough air. When she found his eyes again, he didn't look like he was doing any better. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were studying her but they were glazed with heat. With one final thrust and a flick of his finger, her head fell back and her inner muscles clung to him as she found her release. Michael rode her climax and continued to move but it wasn't long until he was tumbling after her.

As she began to catch her breath again, Sara sat back up and circled her arms around Michael bringing her mouth to his ear. "Merry Christmas." She whispered.

A low chuckle was his response. Bringing her face back level with his she met his eyes and gave him a soft kiss.  
Bringing his hands up to surround her face, he pushed her long tresses behind her ears so he could see her face clearly. "Is that my Christmas present?" he asked with amusement.

Taking his hands in her own, she gave him one last quick peck on the lips before lifting herself off him. She sashayed toward the bathroom and said, "Nope. Just a little preview."

Michael laid his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes for a minute to take everything in. This was their first Christmas together and already it was more than he could have ever hoped for. He was happier than he could remember and it was because of her. Sitting back up, he swung his feet to the floor and followed her into the bathroom.

~

Their shower together had been fun, playful. Michael was in a very good mood and so was Sara. They'd spent a wonderful day together yesterday and today they were headed over to have Christmas dinner with Lincoln and LJ.

After eating a late breakfast, Sara realized they'd never discussed when they were going to open their presents to each other. She wanted to give him his before they left so after finishing their food she grabbed his hand, pulled him into the living room and onto the couch.

"What's going on?" he asked with a small smile.

Sara walked over to the closet and pulled out a square looking package. "I want you to open your gift before we leave," she said as she came over to sit beside him.

"Just a minute," Michael said as he disappeared into the bedroom. Two minutes later he was back with a small box in his hand.

Sara was curious now seeing the little box. The last time Michael had produced a small box for her it had contained the engagement ring she now wore and she wonder what on earth he'd gotten her this time. They both sat in silence for a few moments until finally Michael stretched out his hand and gave her the box. "You first."

Sara handed Michael's gift to him, he set it beside him and waited for her to begin. She held the small box in her hands almost afraid to open it. Looking up at him, he smiled and she smiled back. Turning her attention back to the box, she removed the wrapping paper and opened what was obviously a box from a jewelry store. Lifting the lid, she saw inside was a gold necklace. At the end of the chain were three flowers; a red rose, a white lily, and a red and white rose. She heard him say, "I know you've kept the flower I gave you but it's getting ragged and you can't really carry it with you, so I wanted to give you something you could have close to you at all times. Something that would last." And then almost on a whisper he added, "The red rose represents courage, respect and love. The lily represents purity, and the red and white rose represents unity and togetherness."

Running her hand along the delicate piece, she remained silent. He was right. She'd kept the flower with her the entire time they'd been apart and even with him by her side now, she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it. I was a part of her, just like he was.

Michael was beginning to get nervous. What if she didn't like it? He really hadn't known what to get her. The women he'd dated in the past had always liked jewelry, but Sara was different. Maybe she didn't like it. "Sara…" Her head came up at hearing her name and when he saw her eyes were glazed over with unshed tears he wasn't sure what to make of it. "I'm sorry. I just…"

Sara brought two fingers up to rested on his lips to quite him. "I love it Michael. Thank you." Bringing her attention back down to the box, she reached in and removed the necklace. Turning it over in her hands, she noticed the small engraving on the back, Love Michael. She'd been holding back the tears but this time a single one fell. Lifting the necklace she turned to him, "Will you help me?"

Taking the necklace from her, he helped her put it on. Once the clasp was closed, Michael's hands lay on her shoulders and instinctively she leaned back into him. "Thank you." Before she could get lost in him she made herself move. Turning back around to face him, she pointed to the package she'd handed him earlier. "Your turn," she smiled.

Michael picked up the package and his mind took in its dimensions. As he removed the first section of wrapping paper his eyes fell on the crane. Making quick work of the rest of the paper, he realized it was a photo album with an origami crane embossed on the front cover.  
Looking up with questions in his eyes, "Open it." She said. Turning back to the gift he now held, he opened the first page and for a moment he forgot to breath. It was a picture of him and Linc and his mom. Running his fingers over the picture he asked in a choked voice, "How did you…?"

"Lincoln." She said simply. "I told him what I wanted to do and he helped me gather up as many family pictures as we could get our hands on."

He continued to flip through the pages and found an old wedding photo of his mom and dad, along with several other pictures of him and Linc. There were also pictures of his graduation from college and of LJ as a baby. When he got to the end of the pictures, he noticed there were blank pages. Figuring there'd just been more pages in the album than pictures he closed the book. "Thank you Sara."

"There's one more thing Michael." He gave her a confused look. "There's a picture missing." When he still gave no sign of recognition she added, "Us. There needs to be a picture of us."

Sara went on to explain that she'd arranged for the four of them to go to a portrait studio tomorrow and have their pictures taken. All the photos in the album were at least ten years old and very firmly she told him she thought it was time to have some new ones. When she'd finished, Michael didn't know what to say so he didn't say anything. Instead he reached out and pulled her into his arms, burring his face in her hair.  
Sara just held on tight.


	43. Chapter 43

Michael and Sara arrived at Lincoln's just after one. They'd knocked twice but there was still no answer. Pulling out his key, Michael let them in. As he closed the door behind them, they heard noise coming from the kitchen. Looking at each other with raised eyebrows, they silently headed towards the commotion.

They walked in and saw Lincoln fighting with several pans of what appeared to be food at different stages of creation. As soon as he saw them, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad your hear. Mikey can you grab that spoon behind you?" Grabbing the spoon, he passed it to Lincoln while trying to suppress a smile. "Thanks." Lincoln said as he quickly turned to stir some water that was boiling.

Sara was not a cook and she knew it, but Lincoln looked like he was in desperate need of some assistance. "Can I help?" She asked.

Pausing with the spoon in mid air, Lincoln looked at her considering. Turning back to the stove he said, "Michael can help me in here with dinner. Could you talk to LJ?"

The lighthearted nature of the day left her, "What's wrong with LJ?"

"I don't know. He was fine this morning when he first got up, but about two hours ago I went to his room to have him help me with dinner and he refused to come out." Turning to her again he sighed. "He won't talk to me. Maybe he'll talk to you."

Sara walked over and put her hand on Lincoln's arm. "I'll see what I can do." Sara reached up on tiptoes and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before turning and leaving the room.

Making her way down the hall to LJ's bedroom, she paused outside the door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked twice. After hearing a muffled sound from inside, she opened the door and walked in.

LJ was sitting on his bed with a headset over his ears and a comic book in his lap. Seeing it was her, he removed the headset and place it along with his comic beside him. Sara took a look around. She'd never been in here. It was very much a young man's room. There was no sign of a female anywhere in site. Finally turning back to look at him, she made her way over to the bed. LJ sat up and moved his legs out of the way so she could sit down.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sara looked at LJ's depressed features and instinctively reached out. There was no hesitation on his part. He fell into her arms and held her tight. Sara just held him and felt his breathing change like he was trying to hold back tears.

Feeling him start to calm down, she pulled back and he followed pressing his back against the headboard. He didn't look much better than when she'd walked in. "Want to talk?" she asked. When he didn't saying anything she added, "Is it Jessica?" His eyes met hers and she knew she'd found her mark. "Did something happen? Is she alright?"

He didn't say anything at first, just shook his head. Then she heard him whisper, "It's my fault."

"What's your fault?" When he didn't say anything more, she reached out and touched his hand. "I might be able to help. Tell me what's your fault LJ?"

It was obvious he was fighting tears again but he started to speak. "She told her family about me." He grew silent again and averted his eyes, but she was familiar how the men in this family were. He'd get it out eventually. She just had to be patient. Luckily he didn't make her wait too long. Taking a deep breath he let it all spill out. "She told them who I was. Who dad was, and Uncle Mike. They got…angry. Told her she wasn't to see me again." He met her eyes. "She stood up to them and they had a huge fight. She said they haven't spoken to her since." Averting his eyes again to the bedspread he added, "She said they wouldn't even let her have the phone to call me. She snuck the phone out of the house and was in the barn when she called me today, freezing."

Sara pulled him into her for another hug. "I'm sorry LJ. It will be ok. I promise. Things will work out, you'll see."

"How?"

Pulling back again so he could see her face, "I don't know. Look and me and your uncle though. All that we've been through and we've survived. So will you and Jessica if that's what you both want."

She thought she saw doubt on his face but then he said, "I don't want her to have to go through what you did Sara. I can't ask her to do that."

Sara reached up and lovingly brushed the hair away from his face. "Oh LJ. When love is involved, you don't have to ask."

After a few more minutes, she was able to convince him to come out and say hi to his uncle. As they walked into the main living area, Michael was busy setting the table but looked up catching her eye. Before anything could be said, Lincoln walked out of the kitchen carrying the first of what was to be their Christmas dinner. Sara whispered, "Looks like your dad might need some help." She thought she heard him mumble a yea sure and then he was following his father into the kitchen.

Sara came up beside Michael. Stopping what he was doing, he pulled her in for a hug. "Everything ok?"

Hugging him back, she brushed her lips across his cheek, "I'll tell you later."

Michael didn't get a chance to press her for more information as Lincoln and LJ came out carrying more food. Sara pulled away from him and went into the kitchen to see if she could carry anything.

Throughout dinner, when they'd gone to visit the gravesite and into the evening, LJ remained quite. He participated, but only just. Every now and then, Michael noticed Sara would catch LJ's eye and give him and encouraging smile. After the small gesture, his nephew would try just a little harder.

As they were leaving, Sara pulled LJ aside and gave him a hug goodbye. "When does she come back?"

"Wednesday. I'm supposed to pick her up at the airport at noon."

Sara had an idea. "Do you two have plans for New Years Eve?"

LJ shook his head. "No. She was going to come back on the third but bumped up her flight since everything…since everything happened with her family."

"Why don't you both come over then? It won't be anything fancy, but we have some friends coming and we can make pizzas, play some games maybe, and watch the ball drop."  
"I don't know…"

Sara stepped back and put her coat on. "Just think about it LJ. It's up to you and Jessica but the offer is there if your interested."

Sara moved to say her goodbyes to Lincoln, giving him a hug and wishing him Merry Christmas. As they were moving to the door, "Sara?" LJ said. She turned back to face him. "Thanks." With that he turned heading toward his room and Michael and Sara left.

When the door closed, Lincoln took a seat on the couch and counted all the blessings he had in his life now. Only one thing was missing. He'd been thinking about her a lot lately with Michael and Sara getting ready for their wedding; she'd always be part of him. Forcing himself up, he made his way down the hall to check on his son.

~

Sara was quite the entire ride home. He'd seen her pulling at her coat sleeves and even touch the necklace he'd gotten her a few times. Her brow was wrinkled in concentration. As they stepped out of the car and headed up to their apartment, he wrapped his arms around her and she leaned in accepting his show of support. She didn't break her silence until they were up in their apartment and seated on the couch.

She was currently snuggled up to him with her head on his shoulder. Running his hands through her hair, he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Want to talk about it?"  
Sighing she said, "I invited LJ and Jessica over for New Years Eve."

Michael smiled against her hair, "I heard." When she was quite again he asked, "Is everything alright with LJ?"

"It will be. At least I hope it will be." Although he didn't think it was possible, she snuggled closer. "Jessica told her parents about everything and they…they didn't take it well. They haven't spoken to her since. LJ of course is blaming himself." She must have felt him stiffen because she added. "I wonder where he gets that from."

Michael placed another kiss in her hair. "I wouldn't know."

This got a small laugh out of Sara. "I'm sure you wouldn't." After a short pause she said, "She's coming back early because of everything. I think things will be alright once they see each other again."

Michael didn't say anything. Hoping she was right, he just held her.


	44. Chapter 44

December 31

Sara opened the car door quickly sliding into her seat and pulled it shut behind her. Starting the car she quickly turned on the heat. Throwing her purse beside her, she opened the envelope she'd been carrying. Delicately pulling out the thick pieces of paper. As she slid the first sheet out, she saw she and Michael smiling to the camera and it brought a smile to her own face. Flipping through the rest of the prints, she found the one of Michael, Lincoln, and LJ. These three men…they'd done so much for her over the last two years. All handsome, all brave, all undeniably stubborn.

It'd taken a little work to get them all going that morning, but once things started it'd gone better than she'd expected. After having their faces plastered all over the country while on the run, none of them really cared to have their picture taken anymore. As they all stood nervously huddled together before the pictures, she'd noticed them all sharing a look. It was something unspoken but something very real. It was then she realized they were doing this for her. Her heart had become so full she'd almost cried. Luckily she was saved by the photographer yelling he was ready for them.

Slipping the photos back inside, she put the car in drive and headed to the grocery store to pick up some things for tonight.

Taking out her keys, she let herself into the apartment. Pushing the door shut behind her, she called out. "Michael?"

"In here." He yelled back from the kitchen.

Letting her purse drop to the floor, she headed toward his voice.

Michael looked up briefly and smiled as she came through the door. "Hi."

"Hi yourself." She said a little breathlessly. Sara stood in the doorway a moment holding the bag of groceries, admiring the site before her. Michael wore no shoes or socks and was dressed in fitted jeans that hugged him in all the right places. He was wearing one of his long sleeved t-shirts, which he'd pushed up revealing some of his ink. The man looked devastating standing there preparing dip for the little get together with Matt and Vicki tonight.

Michael realized she hadn't moved. Turning around, he was about to ask her if something was wrong when he saw the look she was giving him. Placing the supplies he'd been using down on the counter, he crossed the room. Lifting the bag out of her hand, he set it on the counter.

Facing her again, he reached out and laid a hand at her waist. Sara stepped forward and pressed herself up against him. Her lips parted and he needed no further invitation. Bringing his mouth down, his tongue sot hers. He pulled her closer and her arms wrapped around his neck. Michael's hands were roaming over her back. He wanted to feel her skin but couldn't get past the winter coat she was still wearing. Ripping his mouth away, "This coat…has to go."

Sara stepped back out of his arms and removed the coat. But instead of coming back to him, she turned and started out of the room. Pausing just inside the door, she looked back. Her eyes telling him she wanted him to follow. He did.

LJ was pacing outside the ticket area. Jess's plane had been delayed for four hours and had finally gotten off the ground just over an hour ago. He looked up at the screen for what seemed like the millionth time and saw it change to "arrived". If he'd thought his heart was beating fast before, now it was thundering. Moving so he could see the terminal entrance clearly, he waited.

Jessica made her way down the long hall toward security and the ticket area, where she knew LJ would be waiting for her. It had been a long day already. She'd wanted to call a cab to take her to the airport, but her dad had insisted on driving her. The forty-five minute drive had not been pleasant. And to round everything off, her flight had been delayed due to bad weather.

Rounding the corner, she spotted him. Picking up her speed she made her way past some slower travelers and without stopping quickly made her way to him. There was no hesitation. She wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug.

LJ hadn't known what it was going to be like seeing her again. But when he'd caught his first glimpse of her, he'd had to make himself stand in place to keep from running to her. Now with her in his arms, he didn't want to let go. After a few minutes, she began to pull away. When he took a look at her, all his guilt began to return. Her eyes were puffy and a little blood shot. She looked worn and tired. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Giving him a little smile, "Yea. Just good to be back." Seeing he was about to ask her more questions she wasn't really prepared to answer at the moment, "We should probably go get the rest of my bags." And without another word, she stepped back and began walking to the baggage claim.

By the time they got to the car, it was already six o'clock. One of her bags was missing and they'd had to go file a claim with the airline. All the way home, LJ had been debating as to whether or not he should bring up the invitation to Sara and Uncle Mike's tonight. She looked so tired.

All of a sudden he heard her shift beside him and take a deep breath. "LJ if there's something you want to ask me just ask."

He hadn't realized his feelings had been playing out on his face, but obviously they had. Taking a breath of his own he said, "It's nothing Jess." When she gave him that I don't believe you look, he relented. "Really it's nothing. Sara just invited us to come over tonight for New Years Eve that's all. But if you're too tired it's no big deal. We don't have to go."

Jessica was silent for a minute and then she surprised him. "Can we stop by the dorm first? I'd like to freshen up a little and change."

"You want to go? Are you sure?"

Jessica turned back to face the window again. "Yea. I'm sure."

At six, the doorbell rang. "Do you want to get that Michael?"

Michael came out of the bedroom and headed for the door. He'd put his jeans and long sleeve t-shirt back on, but had now added both socks and shoes to his ensemble. With his hand on the doorknob he took a deep breath and then opened the door.

Matt and Vicki both stood with huge smiles and Michael stepped back to let them into the apartment. Closing the door behind them, he turned. "Can I take your coats?"

"Oh yes please. Thank you Michael." Vicki said handing her coat over to their host.

"This is a nice place you have here. Nice location too. What is it about ten minutes from the office?" asked Matt.

"Something like that." Michael replied as he put their coats in the closet.

Sara came out of the kitchen drying her hands on a towel. "Hi. Glad you were able to come."

"Oh we didn't want to miss it. I was telling Michael, Vicki's been saying how she wanted us to get together for dinner ever since the barbeque. But the timing just never seemed to be right. This is perfect." Matt said as he rested a hand on Vicki's waist.

Michael seemed rooted in his spot so Sara decided to press forward. "Would you like something to drink? Michael bought something for later, but we have some pop, water, or I can make some coffee if you'd like."

"Oh we don't want you to go to any trouble. Water's fine for me."

Vicki glanced up at her husband who replied, " I'll take a Pepsi or a Coke if you've got it."

Sara turned to head back into the kitchen for drinks.

Vicki stepped away from her husband and gave him a nudge toward Michael. Moving towards the kitchen to follow Sara, "I'll help you with the drinks."

When Vicki entered the kitchen Sara was already pulling glasses out of the cabinet. "What can I do?"

Sara set the glasses down on the counter. "The Pespi is down on the far end if you want to get that while I get the ice."

Vicki moved to the far end of the room where Sara indicated the pop to be and removed a can for her husband. Sara already had the glasses filled with ice by the time she turned back around. Turning on the tap, Sara filled three glasses with water. "Are you sure you don't want anything besides water? I think I noticed some ice tea in there if you'd rather have that."

"Oh no that's ok. The doctor says no more than one cup of caffeine per day and I had that this morning." Vicki said with a shy smile.

Sara being a doctor picked up on her comment right away. With a smile she asked, "How far along are you?"

With Sara's question, Vicki's smile bloomed. "Almost two months. We just found out yesterday. We've been trying for a while now."

"Congratulations." Sara said and she meant it.

Leaning back against the counter as Sara filled the last glass Vicki asked, "So are you and Michael planning to have any? Little ones I mean." When she saw the expression on Sara's face change she quickly added, "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that."

"No. No, it's ok. It's just…" Setting the full glass down on the counter she thought about how much to share. She knew Vicki was extending friendship and she and Matt had already been so good to them. Since Vicki already knew about Michael's history, Sara decided to come out with it. "It's just…Michael is still on parole and we want to wait until he doesn't have to…"

Vicki reaching out a comforting hand. "Say no more. I understand." Turning around Vicki grabbed two of the glasses and she and Sara headed back into the living room with the men.

When the two women entered the living room, their men were both sitting, Matt on the couch and Michael in the chair, discussing work. As Vicki handed the glass to her husband and sat down beside him, "Can't you two find anything else to talk about besides work?"

Sara debated on whether to take a seat on the couch beside Vicki or to sit on Michael's lap. After taking a look at the still tense features on Michael's face, she decided to do neither. Instead, "Michael, could you help me with something for a minute?" Michael stood immediately and followed her into the kitchen.

When he reached the kitchen, he found Sara facing him with a scow on her face. "What?" he asked.

"What? Michael please. We have two people in our living room that are trying very hard to be our friends and you're acting like…your shutting yourself down."

Michael stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Sorry."

Taking a deep breath she let out an audible sigh. "I don't want you to be sorry Michael. I want you to be happy." Stepping toward him, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Michael instinctively moved his hands to bracket her hips. "Can you do that for me?" He looked so vulnerable. Nodding her head towards the living room and their guests, "I don't think they're going to judge you if that's what your afraid of."

Michael studied her face and then closed his eyes. "What about you?"

"Me? What about me?"

Opening his eyes, he pulled her close so she could no longer see his face. "What if they judge you?"

Holding him tighter, "Oh Michael. Don't worry about me." Feeling his protest coming she continued, "And besides, I don't think they will." Pulling back so she could see his face again, "These are nice people Michael. They want to be our friends but in order to do that…in order to do that we have to break down some of these walls we have ok." He said nothing but the look in his eyes told her he understood. Reaching up with her hand she caressed his face and gave him a small kiss.

As she pulled back and found his eyes again she heard him whisper, "I'll try," but she didn't have a chance to reply as there was a knock at the door.


	45. Chapter 45

Sara and Michael moved apart and headed back into the living room. Michael remained in the archway as she headed towards the door. She opened the door to find LJ and Jessica, both looking a little worn. "Hi." She said. "Come on in." Sara took their coats and introduced them both to Matt and Vicki.

Michael came in to join them in the living room and took his seat again in the single chair. Matt and Vicki moved down on the couch to make room for the new arrivals. This was a new predicament for them. They'd never had company other than LJ, Lincoln and Jessica before, but now with the three couples there was no space for Sara. Taking a look at the situation, she went back to her earlier plan and made her way over to the chair and Michael. As soon as she appeared in front of him, he opened his lap and his arms. When she sat down, his arms wrapped around her as she settled into his warmth.

As the two couples on the couch began to interact, Sara leaned in to whisper in Michael's ear. "I'm here so just relax." She felt him tighten his grip on her for a moment and then felt a small kiss at the base of her neck. That's ok, she thought. Let him hold on to me as tight as he needs to.

"So," Vicki asked LJ and Jessica, "you two met at college?"

After a brief pause, LJ spoke up. "Jess was in my writing class first quarter." The conversation progressed from there.

Sara notice, however, Jessica was silent. She also saw the way LJ was holding tight to her hand. Knowing Jessica probably needed to talk, she kept looking for a way to get her alone without being rude to her other guests. Then LJ said something about being hungry. "We bought all the supplies to make pizzas. Thought maybe it would be more fun to make our own."

Matt jumped on the idea. "That sounds like a great idea." Looking at the two other men in the room. Smiling he said, "Well guys do you think we could mange the pizzas for our women? That is if you don't mind Sara."

Amused Sara replied, "No of course not. This could be interesting to see."

During the conversation Michael had begun to relax and had even interjected a few comments. Turning slightly to see his face, she tried to keep her tone light, "You think you can manage Scofield?"

He surprised her, "Yes Tancredi. I think I can manage." Picking her up off his lap, he stood. Giving her a swift kiss, he turned to the guys. "Are you ready? I think we have some pizzas to wrestle."

Matt gave his wife a small kiss and followed Michael into the kitchen. LJ was a little slower but eventually he left Jess's side and followed.

After the men left, there was a few minutes of silence. Vicki looked between the two other women, "Maybe I should go help the men and give you two a minute."

Jessica reached out her hand. "No. It's ok. You don't have to go."

"Are you sure? If you two need to talk, I understand."

"No really. Stay."

A few more moments of silence were endured before Sara spoke. "LJ told me what happened."

"Did he?" Jessica said, sounding more dejected than before. With a huge sigh she said, "He couldn't…because he doesn't know."

Moving to the couch to sit beside Jessica who was now sandwiched by the older women. "What happened?"

Rubbing her face, she pushed her hair back before letting her hands fall to her lap. Sitting back, she began to talk. "On Monday when I arrived home, everyone was so happy. Happy to see me. Happy I was home. We had a great dinner. Mom cooked her roast and potatoes. It felt good to be home. After dinner I excused myself and called LJ to let him know I got there all right. Mom over heard the end of the conversation and when I came back to the living room, she asked me who I'd been talking to."

Jessica looked up at her two companions, "I didn't want to lie to her and dad so I told them about LJ. They asked tons of questions. How we met, how long we'd been seeing each other. All was fine until they asked about his family. I tried to be vague. Told him he had his dad and his uncle, that his mom was dead. But that wasn't good enough. They wanted to know what they did for a living, if I'd met them, their names."

Choking back a sob, she paused before she continued. "That's when dad got up and went to his filing cabinet. He pulled out a stack of old newspapers." Looking at Sara she said, "They were papers from the search for Michael and Lincoln." Turning her face back to her hands, "Dad looked at me and said, 'Are these the two men your talking about? The father and uncle.' When I told him yes, he hit the roof."

"I've never seen dad so mad. He threw the papers down on the coffee table in front of me and…and." Jess swiped at the tears that were starting to fall. "He told me I was never to see or talk to LJ again. That he didn't want me mixed up with people like this. I was here to get an education and if I couldn't do that then I could just come home."

Both women reached out a comforting hand to Jessica. "I tried to explain. To tell them that you were good people. That I loved LJ but they wouldn't listen." Sighing Jessica said, "Mom and dad didn't talk to me again until I said goodbye to leave for the airport when dad insisted he drive me. I think that was worse. I would have rather taken a cab."

The tears were flowing full force now. "Just before we got to the airport dad said he wanted to meet the boy who was stealing his daughter from him and that if LJ didn't meet with his approval, then I wouldn't be coming back here to school next year." Turning, "Oh Sara what am I going to do? Dad wants LJ to come for spring break but…but I can't do that to him. He's been through so much with his family. I can't ask him to come and have my dad terrorize him for a week. But I don't want to lose him either and I know I will if I don't come back next year."

Sara pulled Jessica in for a hug stroking the young girls hair. "It will be ok." Looking over at Vicki, she saw the woman was overwhelmed by the situation. To her this was probably unusual. To Sara, this was just another obstacle though in the path of the Burrows men. Pulling Jessica back so she could look at her, "Jessica, you need to talk to LJ about this. Tell him how you feel and let him make his own choice. I think he might surprise you," Sara said with a little smile. Jessica swiped at her tears again and smiled back. "Now." Sara said. "Why don't you go into the bathroom and freshen up. You can use the one in our bedroom. Let's forget about mom and dad for tonight and enjoy being back with your man ok?"

Jessica nodded and then pulled Sara in for a hug. "Thank you." She whispered. Lifting herself off the couch, she made her way through the bedroom door.

As soon as Jessica disappeared, Sara spared a glance at Vicki. "You sure you want to be friends with us?"

Vicki gave her a timid smile. "Is it always like this?"

Sara sat back. "Well you were at the barbeque. You saw how everyone treated Michael."

Vicki nodded. "I see what you mean." Reaching out, Vicki took Sara's hand in hers. "Don't worry though. We don't scare that easily."

Just then the men returned. "Pizza will be done in twenty minutes ladies." Matt said taking his seat again beside his wife.

Sara moved over to sit on Michael's lap again just ask Jessica came back into the room. "Good because I'm starving." She said.

Sara was impressed. There were no signs of the pervious conversation as she came and took her seat beside LJ.  
Conversation turned to sports and the football playoffs. The girls just sat and listened, each lost in their own thoughts.

~

Much later that evening, Michael crawled in bed next to Sara. It was after two in the morning and they were glad they didn't have work in the morning. Both couples just left. They'd had a lot of fun with both the pizza and the games. Michael brought out a bottle of champagne and some sparkling cider they'd bought for the occasion and at midnight everyone toasted the New Year.

Michael turned on his side to face Sara, 'You were right."

"Hmmm." She said, already getting sleepy now that the party had come to a close. "What was I right about?"

"We should have Vicki and Matt over again sometime."

This brought Sara's eyes open in a hurry. She looked at his face for a sign he was joking but couldn't find any. "Really?"

Michael shrugged. "Yea." He paused. "It wasn't so bad."

Sara smiled and moved so she could touch him. "Michael Scofield are you trying to tell me you had fun?"

This got a small laugh out of him. "It wasn't an unpleasant experience, no."

"That's all I'm going to get huh? Not unpleasant."

His smile was in full bloom now. "That's all your going to get Tancredi."

Sara moved closer to place a small kiss on his chest.  
Michael rolled over on his back and brought his arm around her. Laying her head down on him, "What are you going to call me after we're married? I won't be Tancredi anymore."

"Hmmm." Michael placed a kiss in her hair as he closed his eyes. "I guess I'll just have to call you something else. I'm sure I'll think of something."

"Hmmm." She said, her eyes drifting closed. "I'm sure you will."

~

Jessica had been quite the entire ride back to the dorm. LJ walked her to her door and bent to kiss her goodnight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wasn't letting go so he just held her.

Everyone else appeared to either be in bed, out partying, or home for the holidays so they were alone in the hallway. "Jess are you alright?"

She moved her head slightly brushing her cheek against his shirt. "Yea. It's just…"

LJ pulled back a little so he could see her face but she wouldn't look at him. "Jess what is it? You can tell me."

Tentatively she looked up. "Will you…will you stay?"

Not quite sure how to respond, "You want me to stay?"

Nodding she said, "I don't want to be alone tonight." Taking a deep breath she asked again, "Will you stay?"

"Sure Jess. If that's what you want. I'll stay."

Giving him a shy smile she backed into her room and he followed.

Once inside Jessica turned on the lamp beside her small bed and placed her coat on the chair. LJ removed his coat and put it beside hers. He watched as Jessica moved to sit on the bed, obviously nervous. Moving to sit beside her, he reached for her hand. She turned to him, leaned in and kissed him. Her lips were shaking as he kissed her back. Moving to hold her, he pulled her into his arms and felt a shiver run through her entire body. He pulled back. "Jess." He waited until he knew he had her attention. "We don't have to do anything if you don't want. I'll still stay."

Shaking her head she said, "I want to." She paused for a minute, not moving a muscle and he waited for her. Almost in a whisper, "There are a lot of things I don't know right now. But I do know I want this."

He looked into her eyes and didn't hesitate. Taking her face in his hands, he brought his mouth to hers. Her hands clutched his arms as he laid her back on the bed.

Moving his hand down to the hem of her sweater, he broke the kiss. "I love you Jess."

"I love you too LJ."


	46. Chapter 46

The next morning LJ woke up with Jessica in his arms. Looking over at the clock it was only nine o'clock. Still pretty early considering the late night they'd had. He needed to call his dad so he wouldn't worry but he didn't want to wake her. She was sleeping so peacefully. Last night had been incredible. He'd dreamt it would be hard to go slow with her since it was her first time, but amazingly it wasn't. Everything was new to her and he'd enjoyed being the one to teach her.

Carefully he rolled her over and slid out of the bed. Slipping his clothes on, he quietly left the room taking his cell with him. Making his way to the lobby, he took a seat in a corner chair and dialed home. His dad picked up on the second ring. "LJ?"

"Yea dad, it's me."

"LJ where are you? You didn't come home last night. Are you ok?"

"Yea dad I'm ok. I'm sorry I made you worry." LJ paused before he continued. "I stayed with Jess last night."

Lincoln didn't saying anything at first and LJ waited. Then finally he heard his dad say. "Well I'm glad you're alright. Are you coming home soon?"

"I don't know. Jess is still asleep and I don't just want to leave her. I just didn't want you to worry. Look I don't want to be away long in case she wakes up."

"Ok. Take care son."

"I will dad."

After hanging up the phone, LJ headed towards the vending machines. He was starving and he was sure Jess would be hungry too. The machines didn't have much to offer but he found some muffins and a Danish, which would have to do. Heading back to her room he opened the door to find Jessica's awake and dressed. The look on her face when she saw him was relief, which he didn't understand. Coming to sit beside her, he gave her a smile, "I brought breakfast." Laying the muffins and Danish between them. "Not much I know but the vending machines didn't offer much choice."

Before he knew what hit him, Jessica had her arms wrapped around him with no sign of letting go. "Jess?" he asked. Then he heard a sob. Bring his arms around her, "Are you ok? What's wrong? It's just breakfast. I thought you'd be hungry."

This got a little laugh out of her. "I am."

"Well that's good. Tell me what's wrong. Why are you crying?"

Pulling back, she reached for a muffin and began eating. LJ followed. He was just getting ready to ask her again when she said. "It's silly really. It's just…well when I woke up and you weren't here I thought…"

"You thought I'd left you? After last night? Jess how could you think that?"

She let out something between a laugh and a grunt. "Because that's what I was told all my life. That once you sleep with a guy, he…he…"

"Jess I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to call my dad so he wouldn't worry and I thought I'd let you sleep that's all."

Jessica let out a sigh and gave him a small smile. After a few minutes she said, "Thanks for breakfast."

Lacing his hand with hers, "Your welcome."

~

Sara was being pulled out of her restful sleep by gentle and exploring hands. She'd turned onto her side in the night and was facing away from him. When she'd first felt the hands in question they were on her back, slowly moving up and down from shoulder to hip. They were branching out however, and one now moved to her stomach. Trying to lay perfectly still, she savored the feeling of those hands making small and then larger circles on her belly.

She must have made some movement however small because she felt him move closer to her and whisper in her ear from behind, "Good morning."

She thought about not answering and pretending she was still asleep but decided against it. Pushing back against him, "Good morning yourself."

His hands had stopped their movement momentarily but were now skimming her hips in their circular rotation. "Sleep well?"

"Hmmm. You?"

"Hmmm. I realized how not up to drinking I am anymore. Those few glasses of champagne did me in it seems."

The circles were now big enough where they were skimming the bottom of her breasts and skimming over her panties, skirting the junction between her legs. "Hmmm," was her only response.

Michael smiled to himself. He knew what he was doing and he was seeing how long it was going to take before she did something about it. Touching her the way he was, he was skirting all the good stuff but it didn't matter. He could feel her body react every time he got close to her breasts or neared her center. Moving his hand slightly, he detoured out of his circular path and ran his hand down one leg to just above her knee and back up the other. Then he picked up his circle again. He kept this pattern, but after the fifth pass he felt her legs open slightly encouraging him. Not quite fast enough, his hand skimmed her sensitive flesh through her panties and he heard a small moan escape her.

She let him make the pass one more time, but when he failed to linger over the part of her that yearned for his touch she grabbed a hold of his hand stilling it just above her hip. She was trying to push his hand downward, but he held it in place. "Please." He heard her whisper.

"Tell me what you want Sara."

"Touch me." Came out on barely a whisper.

Smiling, he obeyed gladly.

~

Michael and Sara moved about the kitchen pulling out the leftover food from last night. It was midday and they were both starving. Their morning's activities hadn't finished in the bedroom. They'd carried over into their shower and then back into the bedroom again. By the time they'd actually gotten dressed it was almost noon.

The oven beeped letting them know it was ready to warm up their pizza. Sara popped the pizza in and took a seat. Michael brought over their drinks and sat down opposite. Reaching out, he took her hand in his and massaged her palm. "Any idea what you want to do today? It's our last day off together until next weekend."

Sara rubbed her thumb against his hand and smiled. "Would you mind if we went over to Lincoln's? I'd like to talk to LJ."

"Sure." He paused. "You want to ask about Jessica." When she nodded he said, "I noticed she wasn't herself last night although she put on a good show. Everything alright?"

Sara bit her lower lip. "I hope so. Her family wants to meet LJ."

"That's good. Right?" he questioned.

"Yes and no." Sara sighed and pulled her hand back. "According to Jessica, if he doesn't meet with their approval…they're going to pull her out of the university next year and make her go somewhere closer to home."

The timer beeped and Michael got up to get the warmed pizza out of the oven. Setting it on the table in front of them, he put a couple of slices on each of their plates and they ate. Nothing more was said about Jessica or LJ.

After they finished eating and cleaned up, they slipped on their coats and headed out.

~

When Lincoln opened the door the smile on his face was telling. He was glad to see them. Quickly wrapping each his brother and Sara in a hug he ushered them inside out of the cold. They all sat down in the living room and Lincoln moved to lower the volume on the TV.

Noticing the dark circles under Lincoln's eyes Michael asked, "You ok?"

Lincoln looked a little distracted, "Yea. Yea. I'm fine." When Michael gave him a skeptical look, "I'm fine man. Just didn't get much sleep last night is all."

"And why is that?" Michael asked.

Lincoln was clearly uncomfortable but Michael didn't care. Before he could press it however, Lincoln stood and said, "You two want something to drink?" and left the room.

Sara and Michael looked at each other questioningly and then Michael got up and followed Lincoln into the kitchen. He found his brother staring blankly into the refrigerator. Arms across his chest Michael asked, "What's going on Linc? Why aren't you sleeping?" When his brother still didn't answer, "Linc?"

Shutting the refrigerator door Lincoln leaned against it and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes. "Really it's nothing Mike. LJ just didn't come home last night. I was worried. That's all."

Panic began to shoot through Michael, "LJ didn't come home? Do you know where he is? Have you heard from him?"

Lincoln brought his hands back down to his side and turned away from his brother, busying himself with some mail on the counter. "Yea. He called me this morning. Spent the night with Jessica."

Michael was a little perplexed. Why would Lincoln be upset by this? LJ was almost nineteen and so was Jessica. They were both adults. Then Michael took another look a his brother, that might have been part of his brother's worry earlier today, but something was still bothering him he could tell. "What else?"

"What do you mean what else Mike. There's nothing else."

"Linc you're my brother. I know you better than that. LJ sleeping over with his girlfriend might have you a little concerned but the dark circles around your eyes have been there since Christmas. Are you going to tell me LJ is the cause of those too? Beacause I don't believe it. Tell me what's going on with you."

"Mikey…" When he saw his brother's face he stopped. What was he going to tell him? He couldn't tell him the truth. Last month he'd went on a date. It'd been the first since he'd lost Veronica. And ever since, she'd been haunting him. Everywhere he looked, he saw her.

He was saved from answering his brother when he heard the front door. Both men returned to the living room to see LJ and Jessica removing their coats.

Greetings were exchanged and LJ put his arm around his girlfriend, holding her close. She blushed slightly but LJ didn't notice. They'd just spent the last few hours talking about what had happened with her parents and he knew she was still a little shaken and upset. From the look on his dad and uncle's face, something wasn't quite right here either. "Everything ok dad?" When his dad didn't answer, "Uncle Mike?"

Lincoln spoke up as he moved into the living room and took a seat. "Everything's fine LJ."

Looking doubtfully at his father, LJ and Jessica moved to take a seat and Michael settled in beside Sara putting his arm around her shoulders. "Everything ok?" Sara whispered to Michael.

"Yea." He whispered back. "LJ didn't come home last night."

Sara's eyes widened as she looked first at Michael and then at LJ and Jessica. So that's what was different. She hadn't been able to put her finger on it when they'd entered the room, but now it all made sense.

The young couple was sitting close. LJ holding Jessica's hand said, "Well I guess it's good every one's here." LJ looked first at Jess and then at his family. "Jess's family wants to meet me. We talked about it and I'm going to go home with her for Spring Break in March."

Sara and Jessica's eyes met but neither said a word.


	47. Chapter 47

Sunday - March 28

Michael, Sara, and Lincoln stood outside the security gates waiting for the passengers of flight 451 from Boston to pass through. It was a Sunday afternoon, which normally might not have been busy, but with it being the end of spring break everyone seemed to be on their way home. They'd arrived twenty minutes ago and according to the display the flight had been on the ground for ten minutes, but as of yet there was no sign of LJ or Jessica.

Standing behind Sara, Michael looked down to see her fidgeting with her sleeves. Slipping his arms around her waist he bent to her ear, "They'll be here soon."

Luckily Lincoln was leaning against a post about four feet away and he wasn't paying attention. Placing her hands over his, "I know. It's just…I hope everything went alright."

Placing a kiss just above her ear, he whispered wickedly "Would you like me to distract you?" He didn't wait for her to answer. Instead, he bent down and began placing small breathy kisses on her neck and shoulder.  
Sara closed her eyes momentarily and her body leaned into his touch without even thinking. Feeling his fingers begin to move under her hands and his tongue dart out to send shivers up her spine, she jumped when she heard Lincoln say, "There they are."

Opening her eyes she saw LJ and Jessica just on the other side of security making their way towards them. Lincoln had pushed himself away from the wall and was now standing several feet in front of them impatiently waiting for his son to get through the necessary barrier.  
Michael still hadn't released her and she could feel a rumble coming deep from his chest. Looking over her shoulder at him, she shook her head. "Just remember this moment, Scofield."

Before either of them could say more, their attention was brought back to the current situation as Lincoln wrapped LJ in a tight embrace. LJ held onto his father, "Hey Dad," he whispered. They hadn't been apart this long since Panama and everyone was giving them a moment.

Sara slipped out of Michael's arms and made her way to Jessica, giving the young girl a hug of her own she said "Welcome back."

Hearing Sara beside him, LJ turned to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey Sara."

"We've missed you."

Pulling back, "I've missed you too." Seeing his uncle standing only a foot away, LJ closed the distance and hugged him too.

"Are you two hungry?" Lincoln asked.

Jessica was the one that answered, "As long as it's better than the peanuts they serve on the plane."

Everyone laughed and headed toward the baggage claim to pick up their luggage.

~

After catching an early dinner at one of the local diners, everyone went back to Lincoln's house for a while. No one had asked for details about their trip and they hadn't shared. Finally at eight, Michael and Sara said their goodbye and headed home. Shortly after that, LJ turned to Jessica, "I'll take you back to the dorm."  
Letting his dad know where he was going, LJ and Jessica made their way to campus.

Hand in hand, LJ walked with her up the stairs to her door. Stopping Jessica turned to face him. "Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" he asked.

Sighing, "Yea. I need to call home and let them know we got back ok."

"You mean let them know you got back ok."

"LJ."

"Sorry."

"We don't know they didn't like you."

"Jess. Let's be honest. You parents weren't exactly warming up to me."

"LJ." She paused. How to explain this to him? "They were like this with my first boyfriend too at first. By the time we broke up…they loved him." She paused again. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He nodded and she leaned in to give him a kiss goodnight. LJ wrapped his arms around her waist to deepen the kiss. She responded by bringing her arms up around his neck and threading her fingers through his hair.

In her family home, they'd slept on opposite ends of the house. His every move had been watched and dissected. They were never alone and this was their first real kiss since leaving Chicago nine days ago. He wanted nothing more than to stay with her tonight, but he knew that was impossible.

Pulling back before things got too heated, he placed his hands over hers as they slid down his shoulders onto his chest. "I love you Jess."

"I love you too." She whispered.

Reluctantly he stepped back. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will."

Jessica watched as LJ disappeared down the hall before she turned and entered her small dorm room. Her roommate Tonya was sitting on her bed listening to music but looked up upon seeing Jessica enter. "Hey." She smiled. "How was home?"

Jess gave her a little smile. "Not too bad." Laying her bag on the bed, she began to unpack. Putting the last of her clothes into her drawer, she turned to her roommate. "Tonya?" She waited till she knew she had her roommate's attention. "I need to call home. Let them know I'm ok. Do you think…"

Tonya stood. "Say no more roomy. How long do you need?"

"I don't know. Can you give me an hour? Is that too much?"

Getting up Tonya made for the door. "Nope. I'll just head over and see if I can find me an evening snack. You want me to bring you something back?"

Jessica just shook her head and watched her roommate leave through the door. With a final sigh, she reached for the phone. On the fourth ring her mother answered, "Jess?"

"Hey mom."

"Jessica Rice where have you been? You father and I were expecting your call hours ago."

Leaning her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes. "Sorry mom. I didn't mean to make your guys worry. We just grabbed a bite to eat after the plane landed."

"You and LJ?"

"Me, LJ, his dad, his uncle, and Sara."

Her mom was quite. "Mom?" she asked.

"Jess we're worried about you. You know that."

"I know mom. But really they're great people."

"So you keep telling us." Her mom paused. "Your father and I talked about it after you left. And it's not that we don't think LJ is a nice boy and all…"

"But?"

She sighed. "But, were concerned about the bad influence his family could be. It was obvious they're close."

"Mom…"

"Jessica let me finish. Your dad and I talked about it and we've decided we want to meet them." And just to make sure Jessica understood. "We want to meet LJ's family." After a moment she continued. "So…we're going to drive out to Chicago at the end of May to pick you up from college. We'll stay a week. That should be plenty of time for you to show us around Chicago and meet his family. After that…after that then we'll decide."

Jessica was beginning to get a headache. "Mom…"

"Oh here's your father. I know he wants to talk to you. And Jessica? This isn't up for discussion. Take it or leave it."

Before Jessica could say anything more, her father was on the phone. "Hi dad."

~

Michael striped down to his boxers and walked over to his nightstand picking up his book. Although on the surface it hadn't seemed like a stressful day, it had been. He heard Sara behind him, but didn't think anything of it until he felt her wrap her arms around his waist. Before he could respond, he felt her soft mouth against his back. Her fingers were moving across his stomach. "Is this supposed to be my pay back Tancredi?" he smiled.

"Mmmm." Was all she said, her mouth too busy with other things. She reached up on her tiptoes and just as he had done to her, placed soft kisses on his neck and shoulder while her tongue sporadically darted out to taste him. Her hands were moving too and not staying in the fairly neutral area of his stomach as he'd done with her earlier in the day.

Feeling her hand dip below the waistband of his boxers, Michael stomach muscles contracted and he felt Sara smile against him. She knew what she was doing and as far as he was concerned, she could do whatever she wanted as long as she kept touching him. When her fingers wrapped the length of him, he tried to stay completely still but it was becoming a challenge. She was behind him, out of his reach, and he desperately wanted to touch her.

Before he could say anything though, she removed her hand and stepped back. He turned to face her. Instead of reaching for her as he'd planned, he paused and took in the sight before him. She was wearing a sheer black baby doll and he could see the outline of what looked to be a matching set of sheer black panties underneath. He'd never seen this one before and it didn't leave much to the imagination, which was just fine with him since his objective would be to get her out of it.

Michael took a step forward sliding his hands under the sheer material and placed his hands to bracket her hips. Sara reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders. "New?" he asked.

She nodded. "Do you like it?"

"I'll like you better out of it." He smirked.

Sara took a step closer and pressed herself against him, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "So what are you waiting for?"

He answered her with a kiss. Covering her mouth with his, his lips were searching, demanding.

Sara brought her arms up to cup his head, her mouth meeting him stroke for stroke. She felt his hands move. His fingers begin to move the sheer panties over her hips and down her legs. The barely there material slid to the floor and she stepped out of them kicking them behind her.

Michael's hand sot the sensitive flesh between her legs and began a slow rhythm. She pressed herself against his hand, urging him to apply more pressure. When he stubbornly didn't comply, she released a moan of frustration from deep in her throat. To her surprise, Michael pulled away leaving her wanting and breathless.

Just as she was about to give voice to her frustration, he reached up with both hands and slid the two thin straps from her shoulders, guiding the material down her body and to the floor. Looking down at him, she stepped out of the garment. She saw a wicked gleam in his eye but wasn't quick enough. As he began to move back up her body, he stalled at the junction between her legs as his tongue darted out to taste her.

Sara reached for his head to hold him in place, but it was too late. He was already making his way slowly back up, paying special attention to the areas of her body he knew to be sensitive. When he reached eye level again, he pulled her flush against him and kissed her feverishly. She hung onto him and rode the wave of heat quickly building in her.

Without breaking the kiss, he moved her onto the bed. Her back on the mattress, he was hovering over her. Her hands found his boxers and pushed them down, freeing him. Kicking them off his legs, he never left her. His hands moved up and down her body, teasing her flesh.

Her hands were on his back, and then his chest. Not caring where her hands were as long as they were on him. Wrapped up in what he was doing to her, he hadn't paid attention where her hands were headed until felt them move below his waist as she took hold of him again, stroking him. He broke the kiss and found her eyes. Searching for breath, "Sara." He murmured as he reached between them and slid his fingers into her slippery folds, first inserting one finger and then two into her heat. Her hand stilled on him as she arched into the intruding digits. He removed his fingers slowly and moved to enter her. Feeling him inside her made her feel whole as nothing else did. As they came together, they held each other tight.

There was so much going on in their lives right now, LJ and Jessica were only part of it. Trying to get everything together for the wedding was proving to be a challenge with her work schedule and his. Almost every weekend there was something else to do. And then there was Lincoln. Last month he'd finally confessed to Michael that he'd started dating again. Nothing serious as of yet, but it was obvious it was hard for him and when Michael saw suffering, especially from his family, he suffered. That's just the way it worked.

Michael moved away and they both moved under the covers. He pulled her into his arms and she went to him. Placing a soft kiss on his chest she whispered, "I love you Michael Scofield."

With a soft kiss on the top of her head, he ran his fingers through her hair before settling his arm around her for the night. "I love you too, Sara Tancredi."


	48. Chapter 48

Saturday- April 3

She could not believe they were having this discussion. Again. "Michael I thought we'd been through this."

Michael hated to fight with Sara. He didn't want to fight with her. Ever. But what she was asking, what she wanted was just too much. It had been bad enough last fall to wear short sleeves to the barbeque. But there at least they all knew about his past. This was something else entirely. These were strangers. "We don't know these people Sara. What will they think?"

Sara let out a sigh of frustration. "I don't know what they'll think and I don't care. This isn't about them. It's about you. You being comfortable in your own skin."

Instinctively he began to close himself off and had to make himself focus. Putting his hands in his pockets, he looked her in the eye. "I don't know if that will ever be possible."

Closing the gap between them that had grown since the argument started, she reached out and he pulled back. She tried again and he relented. "I know this is hard for you Michael. Really I do, but…you can't keep hiding and you don't need to." When he gave no response, she lowered her head and stepped away. Leaving him standing alone in the bedroom, she walked into the living room.

Sitting on the couch, she contemplated the situation. Was she asking too much of him? She thought they'd been over this hurdle already but obviously not.

Lost in her thoughts she hadn't heard him enter the room. He sat down beside her and she looked up. He was wearing one of the shirts, the short sleeve shirts, she bought him. He wasn't looking at her. He was looking at his hands. Almost to himself he said, "What if they find out who I am and don't want to have anything to do with us? What if they won't let us have the wedding there because of me? I don't want that to happen."

Sara reached out and placed a hand on his arm and he shifted his gaze, looking down at her hand. "Michael if that's how they feel about it, then we shouldn't get married there. I, Sara Tancredi, am marrying you, Michael Scofield."

"I know that."

"Do you? Because I don't think you do. This isn't about you Michael, this is about us. I want our wedding to be special, perfect. We deserve that after everything we've been through." He didn't respond. "And that means..." she softened her tone. "That means that we are who we are. Both of us."

~

After another hour of conversation, Michael had agreed to wear the shirt but would take a long sleeve one just in case. Sara wasn't sure what the "just in case" part was but in the end she didn't feel it was worth another hour of discussion. He was now sitting behind the wheel wearing a dark gray t-shirt and light tan kakis.

It was a beautiful day. The windows were down and the wind was blowing through her hair as they made their way down the highway and out of Chicago. Michael hadn't said much on the drive down but she'd been watching him. The muscle in his jaw was tense. That was the only sign he gave that he was not at peace.

As they pulled into the small town where the bed and breakfast was located, she reached over and touched his leg. He glanced over, "Are you ok?" she asked.

He could tell her he was fine but then again, Sara knew him better than anyone and would know he was lying. The entire drive, he'd been thinking about their fight this morning. On some level he knew she was right, which is why he'd relented back at the apartment. But things weren't so cut and dry. There were still people out there that had a problem with him, his history, what he'd done. And the tattoos just brought with them questions. They always would. He reached down and squeezed her hand, "Let's just get through this, ok?"

Leaning over, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "One way or another…it will be alright."

A few minutes later, he was pulling up a long driveway. As he parked the car, a woman in her fifties came out the front door to greet them a huge grin on her face. "Welcome. You must be Michael and Sara." She shook each of their hands. "I'm Carol by the way." Sara had come to stand beside Michael and as usual, his hand slipped into hers. "Well come on in you two and I'll show you around."

As they walked up the front steps, Sara took in the beautiful scene around her. It was April and the flowers were blooming. The house was situated just outside of town and had that small town country feel to it. The house appeared to be well taken care of and thus far the welcome had been warm.

Carol walked them through the house and showed them all the unoccupied rooms. It was a large house with five bedrooms for guests. Carol explained that she and her husband had a master suite down on the first floor but were always a phone call away should they need anything. They walked through the kitchen and into the backyard. If Sara had thought the front was pretty, this was amazing.

The garden they walked into was nothing short of perfect. Straight ahead stood a white gazebo surrounded by rose bushes. The hedges were all neatly trimmed and full of flowers. Carol explained there was plenty of space for chairs in the yard for their guests. They're hands had gotten separated in the exploration of the house but Sara reached out and laced her fingers with Michael's as they walked up the steps into the gazebo. "You like it?" he asked.

"I love it." She said with a sigh and walked into his arms. "It's perfect."

"Carol do you know where my work gloves are? When they looked up a man about the same age as Carol was strolling into the yard. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I didn't realize you folks were already here. Lost track of time I guess."

Michael and Sara made their way down the steps of the gazebo, still hand in hand. The man met them halfway and stuck out this hand. "Travis Wilson. Nice to meet you."

Carol stepped in. "Travis this is Michael and Sara."

Travis was looking intensely first at Michael's face and then at his tattoos. When his eyes met Michael's again, he cleared his throat and turned to his wife. "Carol? Could I talk to you a minute?" Turning slightly back to Michael and Sara he quickly added, "Excuse us for a minute will you?"

Travis practically pulled his wife into the house. Sara felt Michael tense beside her and gave his hand what he hope was a comforting squeeze, but when she looked up his face was blank. The happiness she'd seen only moments ago in the gazebo was gone. It was replaced with the face she hated. The one she'd seen way to often inside the infirmary.

Then they heard it.

"You can't be seriously considering having them in our house can you?"

"Of course I can. And why not? You said yourself you weren't sure after reading everything that he should have been sent back to prison. Are you suddenly changing your mind?"

"Of course not. But thinking the justice system made a mistake and having a felon in my house for an entire weekend is not the same thing."

"It is."

"No. It's not."

"Travis Wilson I can't believe you. That man out there and his family have been through so much and he wants to get married at our home and your saying no? Knowing what you know, how can you do that? How can you treat him like a common criminal when so clearly he's not. I just spent the last twenty minutes going through the house with them and they are a perfectly nice couple."

"Carol…"  
"I'm not discussing this with you anymore Travis. There is no good reason why they can't have their wedding here. Or stay here for that matter."

The was a long pause. "Fine."

"Good. I'm glad your finally seeing reason."

"One thing through."

"What?"

"Promise me you will never be alone with him. I mean we don't…"

"Ok. I promise."

The door swung open and Travis came out first. He briefly glanced their way and then with a hesitant smile headed around the corner and out of sight. A few seconds later, Carol came out with a somewhat forced smile on her face. "So…why don't we head inside and talk menu shall we?"

Both Sara and Michael hesitated. Neither wanted to cause marital difficulties between the couple. When Carol noticed their solemn expressions she came closer and said, "Look don't mind him. He'll be fine. He's just…he just worries about me is all."

It was Michael who spoke up, "Maybe we should go."

"Go?" Carol asked. "Don't be silly." She sighed. "Look. I knew who you both were before you got here and it's fine. It's more than fine. The first time I spoke with you both over the phone I knew there was something special about you. I just couldn't put my finger on it. But once I realized who you were, I knew." Walking forward, "You two have a special connection and deserve to be married in a beautiful garden. This garden." She paused. "I promise you, my husband will be fine." She stepped back towards the house. "Come on now. Let's figure out what we're going to feed your guests."

~

On the drive back, Sara looked over at Michael. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

He gave a little grunt. "If you call putting a rift into someone's marriage not bad then no, not bad at all."

Playing with the material of her pants, "I do feel a little bad about that." He didn't comment. "I think it will be ok though. I mean…Carol thinks he'll come around."

"And what if he doesn't Sara? What if he decides he doesn't want us there?"

Turning towards Michael she reached out and placed a hand on his thigh. "I don't think that's going to happen." He gave her a doubtful look. "I don't." Deciding to change the subject, "What do you think about meeting the minister?"

He didn't say anything but instead tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Sara noticed.

"When are you going to get over this fear of meeting new people?"

He was silent for a few more minutes and then, "I don't know." He sighed and laid his hand over hers. "It's not like I want it to be like this. I want a normal life with you Sara. I'm just afraid my past is going to follow us forever."

Turning to him, she held onto his hand with both of hers. "First of all…it's our past, not just yours. And it's our future. Our life. There are always going to be people who will think ill of you for what you did for your brother but who cares. Let them. The people who matter most in our lives, Lincoln and LJ, they know better. And look at Matt and Vicki, John and Becky." She let that hang in the air.

With a deep sigh he kept his eyes on the road. "I know." He finally said.


	49. Chapter 49

Thursday – April 8th

They'd decided Michael would pick her up at the hospital after her shift was over and head straight for the church. They'd contacted the minister Carol had suggested and they were scheduled to meet with him in an hour. The church was only five miles from the bed and breakfast so the drive would take them about forty-five minutes.

When Sara hopped in the car just outside of the hospital's employee entrance she slide over to Michael, cupped his face with her hands, and proceeded to give him a slow and sensual kiss. Michael relaxed into her and his hands came up to massage the back of her neck. When Sara broke the kiss she didn't go far. Only inches away from his mouth she said, "Mmmm. That's better."

Michael gave a small chuckle. "Trying to tell me something Tancredi?"

Placing another peck on his lips she sat back in her seat and reached to put on her seat belt. "Yes. Relax." She smiled.

He laughed again, a full-hearted laugh this time. "I somehow don't think 'relaxed' is what a kiss like that does to me."

With a wicked smile she glance down at his lap and then back up at his eyes. They weren't laughing now. Then she heard him say, "You'd better stopped looking at me like that if you want to get to our destination tonight."

After another intense moment, Sara broke eye contact. Sitting back in her seat, she closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she felt the car start to move.

~

They arrived at the church with two minutes to spare. Dinner that night had been a fast food drive through which wasn't ideal but they'd both been starving and with only fifteen minutes to spare there weren't many options. Sara could see the wary look in Michael's eyes the moment he put the car in park. He'd chosen to stay in the suit he'd worn to work minus the jacket and tie.

They made their way up the steps to the church. Not long after they stepped into the foyer an older man, in his sixties, came out of a door to their right. The man stuck out his hand and they shook, "Hi. I'm Pastor Ron Keller. You must be Michael and Sara." He stepped back. "Come on into my office." He pointed to the door he'd just exited from. Letting Sara go first, Michael placed his arm at the small of her back as he followed her in.

The older gentleman indicated a small couch along the wall and they took a seat. Their hands met and rested on Michael's leg. He took a seat opposite them in a single chair. Ron Keller took in the couple sitting before him. He'd noticed how close they'd stood to each other in the foyer, the hand to the small of her back when moving into the room, and now the hands. He'd been doing this long enough to know protectiveness when he saw it. The thing was, while it was obvious he was protecting her, she also seemed to show protectiveness of him as well by the way her thumb was gently rubbing along his as it now sat just above his knee. Ron cleared his throat; "So Carol tells me you two are getting married out at her place on June 26th."

"That's right." Michael said.

"Well it's a beautiful place for a wedding that's for sure. I've done a few ceremonies for them over the years." He smiled. When the couple didn't respond he took a deep breath and decided to take a more direct approach. "So why don't you tell me a little about yourselves. Let's start with how long you've been together."

Michael didn't really know what to say. Where did they stop becoming Dr. Tancredi and Inmate Michael Scofield and become Michael and Sara? As he was trying to mole over the technicalities in his mind he heard Sara speak up. "We met two and a half years ago."

"I see." He wasn't sure why that had seemed like a difficult question but continued with what he hoped was a friendly smile, "And how did you meet?"

Here it was again. The dreaded question but to her surprise Michael spoke up and what came out of his mouth surprised her. "Do you know who we are?"

Ron looked at first Michael and then Sara. "No. I'm sorry I don't. Should I?"

Michael turned to look at Sara, their eyes met and held. Biting her lower lip, she nodded. In an emotional voice he began. "Do you remember hearing about Lincoln Burrows, the man who was said to have killed the Vice President's brother?"

"Yes." He said, not quite sure where this was going.

"Lincoln Burrows is my brother." When the minister made no real reaction Michael continued. "My brother was innocent but was sentenced to death and housed in Fox River Penitentiary. I couldn't let him die so I robbed a bank and got put into Fox River as well. To break him out." The older mans eyes were not impassive now. Now they were staring wide eyed at Michael. "I went to the infirmary every day for insulin shots. Sara was the doctor."

Michael stopped. Sara was silent but holding tightly to Michael's hand. Ron Keller was speechless. After several minutes of strained silence, Ron spoke up. "You're the Michael Scofield from the papers?" Michael nodded. Turning to Sara. "And you're the prison doctor they said helped him to escape?" She nodded as well. After a long silence, "Well…I can't say I hear that everyday."

The room was silent again. Choosing his next words wisely he said, "I'll admit I'm not up on all the facts, but from what I do know…you two have to have quite a history together."

It was Sara's turn. "Yes. We do."

"Well…that can be good and that can be bad. Or it can be a little of both." He laughed.

And with that little laugh Sara relaxed a little.

~

They didn't get home until a little after ten. Both had to be at work in the morning so they quickly got ready for bed and slipped under the sheets. Michael was lying on his back, his arm behind his head. Sara came over and laid her head on his shoulder. Moving his arm to wrap around her he ran his fingers slowly up and down her back. She placed a kiss on his chest, "Spill it Scofield."

Letting out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, "I'm beginning to think your idea of going to the courthouse was a good idea."

Slapping him playfully with her hand, "Don't you even dare say that." After a few minutes she added, "I like him."

"Well that's good since we'll be seeing him every other week for the next two months." He said deadpan.

She scooted herself up so she was face to face with him. "This has nothing to do with us you know. It's standard." She watched him close his eyes. "Michael?"

"I know." He said, bringing his other hand around to splay through her hair.

"So what's the problem?"

His fingers continued to stroke her. "It's nothing." When it was clear she was waiting for more he added shrugging his shoulders, "I just feel like I'm in therapy again, that's all."

Giving him a smile, "Well in a way you are. Couples therapy." She leaned down and placed a kiss near his ear and whispered, "Want to make sure I'm good enough for you."

She kissed him again, a little lower this time and he swallowed. "Don't you mean the other way around?"

"Absolutely not." She murmured against his rapidly beating pause. "I already know how good you are."

He groaned. Hand already under her camisole, it began snaking up her back while his other hand was enjoying the feel of her hair in his fingers. "Sara…" he whispered.

"Don't argue." She smiled against his skin. "Don't you know the first rule of marriage is that your wife is always right?" His only answer was a tightening of his hands. She continued to suck and nip away at the tender skin just above his collarbone. Sliding her lips up along his jaw line, she found his waiting mouth.

Michael's tongue delved into her, taking possession of her tempting lips. His hands moved lower, pulling her on top of his body and held her hard against him. His fingers caressed her and kneaded her flesh. He so enjoyed the feel of her under his hands.

He felt her pull away and sit up astride him. Hands moving to the hem of her cream camisole, she pulled the silk fabric up and over her head to reveal her beautiful body to him. Moving his hands up her sides, he took her breast in his hands. His thumbs circled her nipples and she closed her eyes in obvious enjoyment.

Sitting up, one hand moved to cup her head bringing their lips together once more while the other slid back down to her waist. Her hard nipples against his naked chest sent shivers down his body.

He flipped her over and was now hovering above her. Her red hair splayed out on the pillow beneath her. She was so beautiful. So perfect. Michael bent down and let himself get lost in her lips once again.

Feeling her hands on his hips, pushing at the material of his boxers he reached down to help her. Leaving her lips, his mouth moved to take one of her breast into his mouth while his fingers found the thin straps of her panties and moved them down her legs.

On their way back up, his hands stalled between her legs gently caressing her while his mouth continued it slow assault on the nipple in his mouth. He heard her breathing change and with a final stroke of his hand, he moved between her legs and entered her.

Once he was inside her, she wrapped her legs to encircle his waist. Her arms cupped his head as she pulled his mouth back to hers. They moved together, the only sound was their raged breathing and the low moans coming from deep within both their throats. Keeping one hand on her hip, Michael reached up to lightly touch her breast. Both hearing and feeling her reaction, he used his long fingers to mold her tender flesh in his hands. His mouth left her lips to trail kisses on her neck. Finding the spot just behind her ear, he pressed first his lips and then his tongue against it and felt her body go stiff before she cried out her release.

He rode it out with her. Pulling him back to her lips once again, she began stoking his arms and chest while still moving against him, with him. He was so close, he pulled back and found her beautiful copper eyes. After that, nothing else mattered as his world exploded.


	50. Chapter 50

April 10th

Saturday morning Sara met both Mary and Katie in front of a bridal shop in downtown Chicago. This was the first time the two women had met so she quickly made the introductions. Lucky for her, they seemed to hit it off right away and were chatting as the three of them made their way through the aisles of dresses. Sara had been looking casually for a dress the last few months, but it was now April and she still hadn't found anything. The wedding was less than three months away and she needed to get serious.

Lincoln and LJ were standing up with Michael and Sara had asked Mary and Katie to stand up with her. So not only did they need to find a dress for Sara, but also one for Mary and Katie as well which was today's ultimate goal.

After three hours of shopping they still hadn't found anything. They either liked the style but not the color, or they liked the dress on the rack but after trying it on it just wasn't right. Deciding to take a break they made their way to a small deli to grab some lunch.

"So…" Mary asked directing her question to Katie, "Tell me what was Sara like pre-Michael?"

Sara stopped with her sandwich halfway to her mouth. Katie gave a little chuckle. "Let's just use the word depressing shall we."

Mary thought on that for a moment and then took a bite of her sandwich. Sara just sat there. Now it was Katie's turn. "So what is she like at work now?"

Mary was smiling full out now, "Oh definitely not depressing."

The two women laughed together and glanced over to Sara who was now blushing. "Oh come on Sara," said Katie, "you know your much happier now than you were back when we used to work together. The only time you would perk up was just before a certain someone's appointment."

Sara didn't have time to respond to that one before Mary chimed in, "Now that you mention it…there was always a change in her just before she'd go off to see him."

Both women were full of smiles and having a fun giving their friend a hard time. When it appeared they were going to continue, "Ok. Enough you two." Sara said. "I freely admit that the prospect of seeing Michael, then…and even now puts a little kick in my step." Sara smiled. And Mary and Katie laughed. Sara joined them.

The women finished up their lunches and then headed out to do more searching. Finally at four o'clock they walked into a store and found two dresses for Mary and Katie. They liked them and so did Sara.

After completing the purchases, the ladies hugged goodbye and Sara made her way back home. It was already five-forty five and they were supposed to be at Lincoln's at six thirty. She was dead on her feet already. Used to working twelve-hour shifts at the hospital, she still hadn't been prepared for what eight and a half hours of shopping had done to her body.

Michael was waiting for her when she walked in the door. Seeing the worried look on his face, "Sorry I'm late. We just couldn't find anything we liked."

Coming over to give her a quick kiss, "Did you find a dress?"

She frowned. "No." With a sigh she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Michael followed. "We did find dresses for Katie and Mary though. Which is good." Draining the glass, she set it in the sink. "I guess I'm going to have to keep looking." Walking back up to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, "How was your day?"

He placed his hands at her waist. "Good. Not as busy as yours it seems." Placing a kiss on her forehead, "You ready to go?"

Sighing she said, "Yea."

Breaking apart they headed out the door.

~

Sara and Michael were the last to arrived. The pizza had even beaten them. As soon as they walked in the door LJ looked up, "About time Uncle Mike. We were going to start without you if you didn't get here soon."

His nephew was trying hard not to smile but wasn't doing a good job. "Sure you were."

The couple joined the group at the table. At first this had seemed odd to the three men sitting at the table, but Sara had insisted ever since Jessica had joined their ranks. Taking their seats everyone dug in.

"So how did shopping go today?" Jessica asked Sara.

"Alright. We were able to find dresses for Mary and Katie."

"Still can't find yours huh?"

"No." Sara sighed. "I know it's out there though. I just have to keep looking."

"I know you'll find the perfect dress Sara." Said LJ.

"I could help." Jessica offered. "I mean if you want. I've free most Saturday's."  
Sara hated shopping alone, which is what she was looking at having to do for the next two Saturday's at least. Both Katie and Mary had to work. "That would be great. Thanks."

The rest of the evening was typical, each member catching the rest up on their week. After dinner, Lincoln got out the cards and they played gin. Michael won all but one hand, which went to LJ. This was the reason they didn't often play gin.

LJ and Jessica were the first to leave followed shortly there after by Michael and Sara. After they were all gone, Lincoln made his way through the house turning off all the lights except one, leaving it on for LJ when he returned. He made his way into his bedroom and stripping down he got into bed.

He didn't bother to cover himself, there wasn't anyone around to see. Instead he lay there, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He'd put on a good front tonight, he thought. But for how long? How long before his brother picked up on something he didn't even realize he was doing like humming to himself while making breakfast, which he'd caught himself doing this morning. How long could he go before he told his family he'd found someone again?

~

They lay in bed that night after making love softly caressing each other. There love making had been silent tonight. He'd initiated and she hadn't resisted. Sensing she was tense, he'd wanted to help. But even now, as his hand made it's way down her back, he could feel the tension building in her again. Placing a kiss in her hair, "You want to tell me about it?" He paused. "Or if you give me a minute maybe I could be convinced to relax you again." Smiling into her hair.

A small giggle escaped from her lips and then she sighed, tucking herself closer to him. "What if I can't find a dress? Or the right flowers? Or what if the minister decides were not right for each other and won't marry us?"

Continuing to stroke her naked skin, "I thought you liked him?"

"What? Oh. I do. I just…I don't know what's gotten into me." She lay silent again and he didn't push. "I've been looking on and off for the last three months for a dress. And then today…today we must have went to twenty different stores. Why can't I find something?"

So this was about the dress. Softly he said, "Because you want it to be perfect."

Kissing his chest, "Well of course I want it to be perfect. I'm only doing this once."

He laughed. "Well that's good to know."

After a few more minutes of silence, "I'm sorry Michael."

"Don't be. I want you to talk to me Sara."

"I know. But you have so much going on right now with work, you don't need this too."

Sliding his hand up her arm, he raised her chin so he could look at her. "Sara, I don't care how busy I am. You can always talk to me." She remained silent and he rubbed his thumb over her lips. "Your very tempting. Do you know that?" he whispered.

Sara leaned into his hand and kissed the pad of his thumb before sucking it into her mouth.

He closed his eyes trying to concentrate when he felt her hand snake down below the sheet. "Sara…"

Releasing his thumb from her mouth, she began kissing his chest. He looked down and saw her eyes gazing up at him from her new position, her lips never leaving his skin. "I need to relax." She murmured against him.

This time, neither of them were quite so quite.


	51. Chapter 51

April 22

The week went by quickly. Jessica ended up going shopping with her that Saturday but they were still not able to find a dress. Michael's hours seemed to be increasing as the Davis construction was in full swing. He'd been working past five more often than not although John had continued to tell him it wasn't necessary. And before she knew it, it was Thursday again and time to drive to the church to see Ron Keller.

As they drove, they talked a little about their day but the conversation got less and less the closer they came to their destination. Pulling into the parking lot, silently they both got out of the car. Meeting, they linked hands and walked up the steps.

As soon as they walked in the door, Ron was waiting for them. "Well hello again. Come on in." he motioned. Like before, Michael and Sara made their way into his office and took their seats on the couch. Ron sat down in his chair, "So how are the wedding plans coming? Everything about set?"

"Getting there." Sara said with a small smile.

"Good, good." Ron leaned back in his chair and observed the couple before he continued. "Well tonight I thought we could talk a little about past relationships. Why don't we start with you Sara."

As soon as she heard the words, not only did she tense but she felt it flow through Michael as well. Taking a deep breath, ok she could do this. "What do you want to know?"

"Well let's start with college. Did you have any boyfriends?"

"Two, one during sophomore and one during junior year."

"Were these relationships serious or casual?"

Sara thought about it for a minute before answering. "At the time I thought they were serious, but they were pretty casual. Especially the one junior year, I was too caught up in my studies trying to get ready for med school to concentrate on a relationship."

"I see. And how about med school? Any men in your life then?"

Sara sighed. "Unfortunately yes." She saw the man across from her lift his eyebrows. "The first man I met in med school was how I got introduced to morphine." Her eyes drift down to her hand and Michael's. "All my relationships from then, until I got clean were…well let's just say 'not healthy'."

"In what way?"

Michael was right. This was like therapy. "Everything I did revolved around the drug. I was attracted to bad boys. Whoever could get me my next fix. Not much else mattered. The only time I was sober was when I had to take a test and even that was a challenge."

"So what happened? How did you stop?"

"I was high one day and witnessed a boy get hit by a car. But I was so out of it I couldn't help him and he died." She was trying not to cry but even after all these years the tears were coming, she could feel them. Michael's hand on her tighten and she took a deep breath. "That's the day I stopped using." She didn't add except when I almost overdosed after Michael's escape.

"Anyone else between getting clean and you two meeting?" He asked.

She shook her head no.

"And how are you two addressing your addition?" he asked. She told him that Michael was very supportive and had even been to one of her NA meetings.

Ron turned to Michael.

Ron asked him all the same questions. He started with college, just as Sara had. His list was shorter than hers. He'd only dated a handful of women over the years before Sara and never any of them for very long.

When he arrived at Nika, he debated if he should just leave her out. They'd never dated. However he was afraid if Ron did any digging on him whatsoever he'd find out about his marriage, especially since the divorce had only gone through four months ago. So he explained briefly about Nika but left out her part in the escape only sharing that he'd married her to get her out of a bad situation and get her green card. Sara had been quite through all this, but he'd felt her tense every time the name Nika left his or Ron's lips.

The hour seemed to drag out forever but finally it was over and they were heading home. The first half of the ride back, neither of them spoke. It was Michael who broke through the quite. "You never told me about the boy."

She was so deep inside her own thoughts she'd missed what he'd said to her. "What?"

"The boy you couldn't help. You never told me about him."

"Oh." Her hands began fidgeting in her lap. "It just never came up, I guess. Sorry."

"It's obviously painful for you to talk about. I understand why you never brought it up." When he looked over and saw her hands moving, "I'm sorry. Just forget I mentioned it."

She heard it in his voice. He was hurt. He was hurt because she didn't share with him and wasn't that ironic. He was right. She should have told him. Sometime in the last two years, she should have mentioned it. "No Michael. Your right. I should have told you. I'm sorry."

"Sara…"

"No. I should have told you. I don't know why I didn't. It is difficult for me to talk about but…I've done it in NA. I have no excuse."

"I didn't say something to make you feel guilty."

"I know."

~

That night as she slid over to him in their bed, she set out to show him how sorry she was. When she started to place kisses on his chest, his arms began to come up to wrap around her as always but she pushed them back to the bed.

Michael wasn't quite sure what she was doing. Why she didn't want him to touch her. The question was on his lips but before he could get it out, she moved lower. Her breast grazed his stomach and he could feel her hard nipples pressing against him. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but instead balled his fists against the mattress and obeyed her wishes.

Her hands gripped his hips, as her mouth made it's way where her breasts had just been. Feeling her hands tugging at his boxers, he lifted his hips for her as she slid them down his legs and onto the floor. Slowly she ran her hands back up his legs. Her seeking fingers getting ever slower the closer she got to what he most wanted her to touch.

He wanted her mouth on him, but instead she was kissing and nipping and licking everywhere BUT where he wanted her to be. Lifting his hips, he tried to get her attention letting her know what he wanted. When he looked down, he found her smiling at his obvious frustration and then her attention went back to torturing him with her mouth.

Finally he felt her fingers graze him and he released a low and throaty groan. He felt her lips curve into a smile again against his skin. "Sara…" he said pleading. But before he could get anything else out he felt what he'd been waiting for, her mouth, her hands. He was completely surrounded by her.

This time he couldn't help himself. He reached for her. Fingers slipping into her hair, all he could do was hold on. Her sweet torture had wound him so tight he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He'd tried to gently tug at her head to get her to release him so he could join with her but she would just grip him tighter and continue to work her magic.

He would not allow himself to find release before she did, or at least until she did. So he took what seemed like ten of the longest seconds of his life, forced his eyes open, found a spot on the ceiling in which to focus and made his mind to block out what she was doing to him. When he felt he'd gained some control, he sat up in one fluid motion dislodging her and flipped them both over.

She stared up at him, her eyes open in surprise, her mouth moist and plump from what she'd been doing to him. But before she could voice any protest from his actions, his lips were on hers. He didn't hold back and kissed her with all the heat she'd built up in him from her time between his legs.

Reaching between them, he found her center. His fingers delved into her feminine folds. Slipping a long finger inside her, he felt her arms around him tighten in response. She was wet and ready for him. Removing his fingers, he positioned himself and pressed forward.

As he entered her, Sara's head fell back against the pillow as her body arched against him. He felt her nails digging into his skin as he began to move. Their joining was almost frantic. It was she who found his lips again. Her hands were everywhere as they moved together. Feeling her body tense, he knew it was ok to let himself go. Pressing her head back into the mattress as his lips took possession of hers, he didn't hold back and together they found completion.


	52. Chapter 52

April 24th

"Thanks for coming with me again Jessica. I really do appreciate it." They'd decided to try some of the shops on the other side of town.

"I don't mind really. Besides, it gives me something to do. Gets me out of the dorm."

Sara heard the depressed note in Jessica's voice, "Everything ok with your roommate?"

"Tonya?" Jessica questioned. "Yea of course. Why…" She paused. "Oh. You thought..." Shaking her head. "No. Everything's fine with Tonya. My roommate and I get alone great."

"So what is it then?"

Jessica was quite for a long while. So long in fact, Sara didn't think she was going to answer. They rounded the corner and were just getting ready to go into the next shop when she said, "It's my parents. They called last night with their travel information. They'll be here on May 19th. That's less than four weeks!"

They walked in the store and began looking around a bit before Sara said, "And your worried." It wasn't a question.

Jessica just nodded. Sara waited her out. She knew eventually Jessica would say more and she wasn't disappointed. "What if they don't like you guys Sara? What if they don't let me come back? It's one thing to be away from LJ for an entire summer but for three years!"

Sara came over and placed her arms around the young girl. "It'll be ok."

Jessica was crying now against Sara's shoulder. "And…and it's not just LJ. I'd miss all you guys."

Sara saw a sales woman approaching looking concerned and mouthed "no" to her, and the woman turned away leaving them alone again. "Jess?" Sara said. "We would miss you too. But don't you think your getting ahead of yourself." Sara pulled back so she could look at Jessica. "I mean your parents haven't even met us yet. Have a little faith."

Jessica laughed. "You sound like LJ."

Sara laughed too. "Actually I sound like Michael and Lincoln. It's kind of the family motto." Jessica seemed to be calming down so Sara stepped back. Looking around the store she spotted the bathrooms. "Why don't we go get you cleaned up and then see if we can find me a dress?"

"Ok." Jessica nodded.

After cleaning Jessica up, they looked through the store for another twenty minutes before calling it quits. The next shop was a block away and across the street. As they stood waiting for the cross walk to change, Sara and Jessica were chatting about shoes of all things when Sara's eyes caught something on the other side of the street. Jessica noticed Sara had stopped talking and tried to follow her eyes but she wasn't sure exactly what she was supposed to be looking at.

Sara had to look twice to make sure she wasn't seeing things, but she was no longer in doubt. Nika had just stepped out of one of the stores directly across from them. Just as Sara thought they might get by without being noticed, Nika's eyes locked on hers. It was obvious when recognition was clear; the eyes looking at her from across the street were shooting daggers.

Sara continued to stare and failed to respond. "Sara?" Jessica prompted. When she got no response she took a step closer and followed Sara's eyes. Then she saw her. These two obviously weren't friends. Jessica reached her hand out to get Sara's attention. "Sara?" This time she got a slight grunt out of her friend. "Sara who is that?"

Finally Sara seemed to snap out of it and turned to the concerned face beside her. "It's…" Sara looked back across the street and saw Nika walking the other way. "It's nobody."

"Sara…"

Sara took Jessica's arm, "No really. It was nobody. Nobody important anyway. Now come on we've got a dress to buy." Just then the cross walk changed and Sara hurried Jessica across the street before she could ask more questions.

~

It was a nice night so after dinner was finished, everyone piled into Lincoln's back yard and lounged on his patio enjoying the warm spring night. Sara, LJ, and Lincoln had struck up a conversation and were completely engrossed, not paying any attention to what was going on outside of their conversation.

Michael walked into the house to get refill on his drink. This was her chance. Grabbing her own glass, she followed him. As she walked into the kitchen, Michael had his hand in the icebox. Hearing her come in, he turned and smiled at her. "Hey."

"Hey." She said. Jessica really couldn't believe she was doing this. She could still remember when she'd been afraid of Michael, although now that seemed kind of silly. She was still nervous though. "Uh, Michael?" He turned to face her. "Can I…can I talk to you a minute?"

"Sure." Setting his glass down, he leaned back against the counter and casually folded his arms.

"Look I don't know if I should say anything or not, but…" she sighed. "but you all have become so important to me." She looked up and now saw a concerned look on Michael's face. She took a deep breath. "Today when Sara and I were shopping. We were about to cross the street and Sara just stopped. When I saw what she was looking at…there was a woman across the street and they were staring at each other. And the look wasn't friendly. I don't know who it was, she wouldn't tell me. But Sara wasn't the same after that." Jessica had been looking down at the glass she had in her hands the whole time and finally looked up. "I just thought maybe you should know."

Michael didn't say anything for a minute. He was thinking, she could tell. Then he walked over to her and pulled her in for a hug. "Thanks." She didn't say anything more, just hugged him back.

~

On the ride home, Michael had looked over at her more than once and noticed her staring blankly out the window. Once on the short ride when he'd seen her hands fidgeting nervously together he'd even asked her if she was alright. She'd given him a weak smile, said she was fine and turned back to what was going on outside the glass.

Upon entering the apartment she busied herself first in the kitchen, which didn't last long, and then made her way into the bedroom. He'd been quietly observing her, although she seemed not to notice. She was in the corner of the room, folding laundry of all things when he stripped down to his boxers and walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

He hadn't taken two steps back into the bedroom until she was on him. Pressing her body fully against him, she grabbed his head and pulled his lips roughly to hers. Before he could even react, her hand was trailing down and inside the only piece of clothing he had on. His brain was telling him to stop. That something was wrong. His body just felt a warm, willing Sara. And when her mouth moved to nibble on his neck and her hand began to stroke him, his body won.

~

Lying spent on top of him, she closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. His breathing was slowly coming back to normal. He was still inside her and making no move to disengage, and neither was she. His arms were around her, gently making small circles on her back. She loved this. Loved the after just as much as the during.

One of her hands was on his shoulder just above her head. The other was lying on his chest right in front of her, making lazy circles of it's own. Usually they talked afterwards, but tonight he was silent. She knew he'd been watching her earlier. Knew he was waiting for her.

She prolonged the words for as long as she could. Moving off of him, she started to pull away and he pulled her back. She didn't resist, but spread out beside him laying her head back on his chest. Her hand began circling again and then she heard the words come out of her mouth. "I saw Nika today."

He remained silent. If not for the consistent movement of his fingers, she would have thought him asleep. She continued. "We didn't speak. She was just across the street but we saw each other." Sara sighed into his chest. "I don't know why but seeing her again just threw me for some reason."

Leaning down he placed a kiss in her hair but still said nothing.

"I'm sorry I've been distant this evening."

This got a response out of him. "Sara you never have to say sorry to me for something you feel." Wanting to lighten the mood, "Besides…I wouldn't exactly call the last thirty minutes distant."

She heard the smile in his voice and knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to make her feel better, as always. She let herself smile, "I guess not."

After several more long minutes, "Why did you let her rattle you?"

She shook her head against him. "I really don't know. Seeing her again…" She sighed heavily. "It just brought back all the feelings, the memories."

She tried to pull away again, but he held her. "Talk to me."

"Michael this is all in the past. It's not important."

"If it's causing you to distance yourself from me." He paused and then she could feel him smile. "Emotionally at least." Then he sobered again. "Then it's important. What feelings? What memories?"

"You know."

"Humor me."

With a sigh, "Ok." She said weakly. She stilled her hand and closed her eyes. "When I saw her, the first thing that popped into my mind was seeing her in Fox River…with you. How it felt seeing her touch you. You kissing her on the cheek after what had just happened between us." She felt his arm tighten around her. "See I told you you didn't want to hear."

Michael forced himself to relax. "Continue."

After another long pause, she did continue. "Then when I saw her at my car. The day you had her steal my keys. Seeing her again, knowing she was your wife…it tore me up inside more than I would admit." He didn't say anything. Just listened to her. "And even though I didn't see her when she came by…and left her little present. The fact that she tried something with you, knowing we're together…" She took a deep breath. "Seeing her today…all of those feelings, memories just came flooding back. I was hurt and angry all at the same time."

She raised her head to look at him and brought herself up to eye level. "I know it's silly which is why I didn't say anything. I don't even know WHY I let it bother me." But Sara did know. The fact that their wedding was getting closer and closer had brought much excitement and many questions. The first nudge had come when they were sitting with the minister.

It'd made Sara realize they'd never really talked about her. Well they'd talked ABOUT her, but not about her and Michael, their marriage. Well more specifically their wedding night. At the time, Sara had pushed it aside and dismissed it. But today, seeing her again, she remembered the tempting beauty that she was. And although she knew that Michael would never cheat on her with Nika or anyone else, she was also realistic. She hadn't known Michael then. He'd had no loyalty to her when he'd married Nika and would have been perfectly within his rights to be with her.

She must have been silent for too long because she heard him say, "Sara if you have something to say, say it. If you have something to ask me, then ask. You know I'll tell you anything you want to know. No secrets remember."

"I remember." She whispered. The problem was…did she really want to know? What if he said he'd slept with her? It didn't change anything. She still loved him and wanted to marry him more than anything. But he was right. The question was there. And for whatever reason, it wasn't going away.

Her eyes drifted to the pillow beside his head. His free hand came up and cupping her face, brought her eyes back to focus on him. "Ask me." He whispered.

She swallowed. "Did you…on your wedding night…did you sleep with her?"

When she'd started to talk about Nika and him together, he'd half expected this. His thumb massaged her cheek as he waited for her eyes to find his again. "No." he said. "We didn't even sleep in the same room." He knew he was probably giving more information than necessary but he wanted her to have everything she needed. "For appearances, we spent the night in my loft but she was in the spare bedroom. Not my bed. I never slept with her Sara."

He saw something change in her eyes. Felt the muscles in her back relax. He reached up and kissed her softly on her lips and her eyes drifted closed. "Thank you." She whispered. Guiding her head back under the crook of his neck, he rubbed his lips against her silky hair and he felt her lips press against him. "Good night Michael."

"Good night Sara."


	53. Chapter 53

April 26th

Monday morning Michael arrived at the office to find both a stack of new paperwork on his desk and enough e-mails that it would take him at least two hours to respond to them. Pulling out a blank notepad, he made a list of things he needed to get done today and set off. The firm had three projects in full swing right now, two smaller ones and the Davis project. They also had five more in various planning stages so to say they were busy would be an understatement. John had met with everyone last week and advised them, he was looking to hire another engineer to the team since they had more business than they could handle right now and the growth didn't seem to show any signs of slowing down soon.

Michael worked through lunch since his day would end at three thirty in order for him to make his appointment with his parole officer. He was knee deep in some construction documents when John stuck his head in to the office, "Michael?" Hearing his boss, he raised his head. "Do you have a minute?"

He really didn't but he wasn't going to tell John that. "Sure."

John headed back to his office and Michael followed. When they got inside, Michael saw that Matt was there as well and already seated. John motioned for Michael to take a seat as well and closed the door. Then making his way around the desk, John took a seat. He folded his hands in front of him and looked at Michael not saying anything.

Michael noticed that Matt was looking at him as well. "Is there something wrong?"

John looked down and his hands and then back at Michael. He sighed. "Michael…"

"Yes?"

"Michael your working to hard."

He wasn't sure if he'd heard his boss correctly. "What?"

John sat back in his seat. "I'd noticed you were staying after five quite a bit so I talked to Matt. He said you've been knee deep in this project and you've been doing almost everything on your own. Not asking for help."

Michael wasn't sure he understood. Was John unhappy with his work on the Davis project? "Did I do something wrong John?"

John thought maybe he should try a different approach. "Michael you and Matt are my strongest engineers. I know I can give you something and you'll get it done and get it done right." Leaning back in over his desk, "The thing is Michael…when Matt has a deadline and needs help, he asks for it."

When Michael still looked like he didn't understand, John looked to Matt and he stepped in. "I think what John is trying to say Michael is that we're a team and he, WE want to know why your not asking for help when you need it. You're getting married soon. I know you have to have better things to do with your evening hours than spend them here or even taking work home, which I've seen you do too."

"Exactly." John said. Satisfied with Matt's explanation. "So the question is…why aren't you asking for help?"

Michael didn't say anything for a minute. He wasn't quite sure how to answer them. He'd had a team at his old firm and had worked with them all the time. Delegating responsibilities was something he'd been good at. Now it just seemed…well he just wasn't comfortable doing it. Although most of his co-workers seemed ok around him now, he didn't want to push it by asking them to do something he could just do himself. Look at what had happened with the receptionist. A repeat of that was not something he wanted. So he decided to keep his answer vague. "I just thought it would be easier."

John just looked at him like he was trying very hard to understand his answer. Matt, however, seemed to understand instantly. "Easier for who? You or them?" Michael didn't say anything but his lips were now pursed together in a tight line. "That's what I thought." Matt looked at John and realized his boss now understood what he'd known immediately about his friend. "You can't keep tip toeing around the rest of the team you know. They're either going to like you or their not, end of story. And besides that…why didn't you just ask me? I would have helped. You know that. At least I hope you know that."

"You have two projects of your own." Was all he said.

"True. But my two don't add up to your one."

John spoke up, "Look it's beside the point at this juncture." Sighing he looked straight at Michael. "Two things I want to say. First, I only want you here for forty hours a week. Second, no taking work home with you. You have a wedding in less than two months; you can find something else to do with your evenings and weekends. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"If you can't get what you need to get done in your normal day, ask for help. I don't care if it's Matt, Lee, Joyce, Jeff, me or even Lisa. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"I told you when you first started that we're a family business and I aim to keep it that way. This is a job, not a life."

Michael was in a state of shock by the time he left his boss' office. He didn't think he'd ever been told to work LESS by a boss before so this was a new experience and he wasn't sure how exactly he felt about it. Looking at the clock he saw it was three thirty-five. Quickly he grabbed his suit jacket and headed for the door. The last thing he needed was to be late to see his parole officer today.

~

Making his way back to his car after meeting with Mr. Sonksen, his mind replayed their meeting. He'd asked about Sara. Specifically about Sara. This wasn't the random, how are your living arrangements? Any changes questions. He'd asked about her, them, their wedding. When? Where? Michael guessed he had the right to ask since he would technically still be under the DOC's watchful eye on his wedding day. But it had felt odd to be talking about her with him.

Deciding he really didn't want to go back to the apartment right now and be alone waiting on Sara to get home from work, he decided to take a detour to Linc's.

His brother was home and seemed rather happy to see him when he opened the door. Lincoln asked his brother if he would like a drink and then proceeded before he could answer into the kitchen. Michael followed.

Head in the refrigerator, "LJ should be home shortly. Sara working?"

"Yea. She's working." Michael looked at his brother curiously. Lincoln seemed to be in a very good mood. Not that his brother was always in a bad mood, but this was just…well different. Lincoln handed him a bottle and he took it but not before giving his brother a though once over.

Lincoln noticed the look his brother was giving him. It was the look he had when he was trying to figure something out. "Stop it Mike."

"Stop what?"

Lincoln took a seat at the kitchen table. "Stop looking at me like I'm one of your blue prints."

Michael stood for a minute and considered what his brother was saying. He was right of course. Something was up with Linc and he was trying to figure out what it was. Taking a seat across from Lincoln, he set his bottle down. "Well Linc…if you'd tell me what it is that seems to be going on with you I wouldn't have to 'look at you like your one of my blue prints'. For months now you've been acting strange. First you were distant, and now? Now you seem like you're about to burst at the seams. So what's going on?"

Lincoln took a drink and then set his own bottle down to look his brother in the eye. "I've met someone."

"What?" It took Michael a second to process what his brother was saying. "As in you're dating someone? A woman?"

Lincoln actually laughed. "Yes. A woman."

Michael broke out into a smile. It was all making sense now. "So who is she?"

Holding the bottle in front of him, "Her name is Samantha. Sam. She's a school teacher."

"A school teacher huh?" Michael said with a hint of amusement he couldn't hide. He couldn't help but give his brother a hard time. Lincoln used to hate school when they were kids. And the irony of him now dating a teacher just struck him as a little funny.

Lincoln tried to give him a hard stare but his heart wasn't really in it. "Yes. A school teacher."

"What grade?"

"Fourth."

Now Michael let out a full belly laugh. "Oh man Linc. She's even an elementary teacher. Does she know what you used to do to your fourth grade teacher?"

"No. And your not going to tell her."

It took a few minutes to get his laughter under control but finally he said a little more seriously. "So when do we get to met her?"

Lincoln took a drink before he answered. "I don't know. Hadn't thought about it."

"Oh don't give me that Linc. Of course you have. Don't you want her to meet us?" Michael paused. "She does know doesn't she?"

"Yes."

"So what's the problem?"

"Nothing." He said as he stood to throw away his empty bottle. "I'll ask her when I see her again on Friday." Pointedly staring at his little brother. "Does that work for you?"

With a big smile on his face, "Yep. That works for me."

By the time Michael made it home, he was in a pretty good mood. Linc had shared with him a little more about Samantha. Apparently they'd run into each other at the supermarket, quite literally. She'd been coming down an aisle and he around a corner. Their carts crashed into each other and well…as they say, the rest is history.

Michael stepped into the elevator to take him up to the apartment. It was a little after seven-thirty so Sara should already be home. He'd called from Linc's house and left a message on their answering machine so she wouldn't worry.

Slipping his key in the lock he felt the doorknob turn. The door was pulled open with a jerk and on the other side stood a distraught looking Sara. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her hair was in disarray from her obvious fidgeting.

As soon as she saw him, she broke down again. He didn't hesitate, just stepped inside and pulled her in his arms. Kicking the door closed behind him, he stood with her head buried in his shoulder trying to sooth her. She was calming down, but slowly. Once he was able to get the tears to stop rolling, he guided her to the couch. Sitting down, he pulled her into his lap and cradled her.

He didn't say anything, just wanted to be there for her. She'd tell him when she was ready. Something had obviously happened, but what? Running his hand over her back up into her hair and back down again, he continued to do what he could to comfort her.

Finally she kissed his neck. "Thank you." She whispered. Rubbing her face against his shoulder, "I'd been doing good for the past hour and then I saw you and lost it again."

His lips against her hair, "It's ok, Sara. Whatever you need."

Taking a deep breath, she snuggled closer and he continued to massage her back. After another long silence, "I lost a patient today. A little girl. She was allergic to the medicine we gave her. We didn't know."

He held her tighter and placed a kiss on her forehead. Glancing over at the door, he saw the Thai food he'd brought home for dinner laying unceremoniously where he'd dropped it on the floor. It could wait.

After a while, he felt her start to relax. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "I brought food."

"No." she said softly. And he didn't push. After another few moments, she placed another soft kiss on his neck and then looked up at him. "I just want to go to bed."

He nodded and released his hold on her. She got up from his lap, and looked over at the food on the floor. Walking over she picked up the food, took it into the kitchen, and placed the containers in the refrigerator. When she came back in, he was still sitting in the same spot watching her. Sara made her way over to him and put her hand out, asking him to come with her. Putting his hand in hers, he leveraged himself off the couch, and let her lead them into the bedroom.


	54. Chapter 54

April 27th – 30th

Tuesday morning Michael had gotten a call from Bill Davis inviting both he and his fiancé to a dinner party Friday night. The party started at seven, which was impossible for them since she worked until then. Mr. Davis said that whenever they could get there was fine. That he wanted Michael to be there no matter what. Michael had no choice but to except.

That night he'd told Sara. He wasn't sure how she'd feel about brushing elbows with the upper class again after sharing with him her distaste for political fundraisers as a kid, but her excitement for him seemed to overcome any ill feelings on her part. She'd went shopping on Wednesday and found a new dress.

Michael made sure he was ready by the time Sara walked in the door Friday evening. As soon as she entered the apartment, she headed into the bedroom to start getting ready. In the kitchen when she'd arrived home, he heard her turn on the shower. He made his way into the bedroom and was sitting on the bed waiting for her when she came out wrapped in a towel.

She had a one-track mind and that was to get ready as soon as possible. Without missing a beat, she'd walked over to her dresser and extracted the lingerie she needed for the evening. Not hearing him walk up behind her, she jumped a little when she felt him slip his arms around her waist. "Hello." He whispered in her ear. "Do I get a kiss this evening?"

Now that her shock was over, she leaned into his embrace. His breath was sending shivers through her body and down to her toes. If she wasn't careful, they wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. "Hmm. Maybe." She said as she turned to face him. Rising up, she planted a chaste kiss on his lips. "Better?"

He leaned in again pulling her towel-clad body closer; taking her lips again for a kiss that was anything but chaste. Looking down into her eyes, he saw the slightly glazed look he'd been waiting for. "Better." And then stepping away, he walked back out into the living room so she could finish getting ready.

~

They arrived at the dinner party a little after eight thirty. The party was in full swing by that time with about a hundred guests mingling about both inside and out of the rather large home. Less than two minutes after their arrival, they'd been spotted by Mr. Davis. He'd crossed the room in record time to shake Michael's hand, "Michael I'm glad you made it. I was beginning to wonder." He gave a little chuckle. Turning his attention to Sara, "And this must be your fiancé."

Michael made the introductions. "Bill this is Sara Tancredi. Sara, Bill Davis."

"Very nice to meet you sir."

"Oh the pleasure is all mine, I assure you. Tancredi? Are you Frank's daughter?"

"Yes."

"I'm very sorry. I knew your dad for years."

"Thank you."

It was quite obvious Sara didn't want to talk about her dad so Bill switch subjects as he invited them to follow him across the room to meet his wife. "Sara do you have any idea what a talented man you're marrying?"

Sara glanced up lovingly at Michael. "Oh I have a pretty good idea." She smiled.

They met Bill's wife and about twenty other people Mr. Davis insisted Michael just had to meet. Most of them just went with the flow but a few, as always, seemed to remember who Michael was. Two had outright asked him if he was THE Michael Scofield. Sara wasn't sure why they felt the need to put the "THE" in there, but for whatever reason they just did. Only one, thank goodness, had realized who he was and had gotten that look of fear in their eyes. Michael acted like it didn't bother him and went on with the night but she knew it had. It always did.

By the time they got a moment to themselves, it was almost eleven. Michael took advantage of the dance floor and led her out onto it. It was a slow number and he held her close as they swayed to the music. Sara rested her tired head on his shoulder as they danced. "Your not half bad at this Mr. Scofield."

"Why thank you Miss. Tancredi. Your not bad yourself."

They were both exhausted after a full days work and although they could tell the party wasn't even near over, they decided to give it another half hour and then make their excuses and leave. But for the remaining thirty minutes, they would dance.

~

Lincoln parked the car in front of her house and walked her to the door. Sam was small compared to him, only coming up to his shoulder. Her first years of teaching some of the kids had thought because of her size that she was a push over. They'd been wrong. She was strict and demanded their participation. In return, she gave them praise and rewarded them for their achievements. And despite some rocky starts, her kids loved her and she loved them.

Sam turned to face her date. They'd been going out for over a month now and she was falling and falling hard. He could be brash at times, but he could also be incredibly sweet like now. He was shifting his weight from the balls of his feet to his heels. Obviously wanting to say something to her but not quite wanting to. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"No. Not at all." He'd been putting it off all night. Asking her to come meet his family tomorrow night. There was no avoiding it. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath he just blurted it out. "Would you like to come have dinner at my house tomorrow night and meet the family? Nothing fancy. It's just pizza."

A smile lit Sam's face. "I'd love to."

"We usually have dinner around six-thirty. I can pick you up around six?"

"That will work." She couldn't keep the smile from her face. He must feel this thing between them too if he was inviting her to meet his family.

"Ok then." He stood in place for a moment and then closed the distance between them. Bending down, he kissed her.

The kiss was warm and deep, but controlled. When he started to pull away, she grabbed his shirt to hold him. "I won't bite Lincoln."

He studied her face and then brought their lips together again. This time, however, his arms circled her waist and held her against him. Her arms came up around his neck as their tongues delved searching into each other's mouths.

They came up for air but neither pulled away. "Would you like to come inside?" she whispered.

Lincoln debated. He knew what she was asking and there was no question he wanted her. It had been a long time. Five years in fact since he'd been with a woman.

She misinterpreted his silence and began to step away. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her keys and turned toward the door. "Forget about it. I'll…I'll just see you…" The next thing she knew, she was turned around again facing him. Her back was pressed against the door and he was kissing her. His hands were in her hair, holding her as his body pressed into hers. All she could do was hold on. She kissed him back with everything she had.

This time when he pulled back, they were both breathing hard. Lincoln leaned back and took the keys from her hand. Unlocking the door, they stepped inside as Lincoln kicked the door closed behind them.

~

Michael and Sara walked in the door just after midnight. He helped her out of her dress and she helped him out of his suit. She'd worn her cream camisole under her dress and deciding she was too tired to change left it on and slipped under the sheets. Michael got into bed and slid behind her wrapping his arm around her waist, spooning her to him.

Sara brought his hand up to her mouth and gave it a simple kiss. "Good night."

Leaning in he kissed her temple. "Good night."


	55. Chapter 55

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

**Ok every one this is my longest chapter to date, 5700 words! That's right. 5700 and it should feed all your needs. There is action for all our leading men in this one so enjoy. :)**

May 1st

At eight o'clock Saturday morning, Lincoln quietly opened the door to his house. At least he thought he'd been quite. He hadn't even made it across the living room before a tired looking LJ appeared from the hall. "Dad?" he said rubbing his eyes. "Is that you?"

"Yea LJ. It's me."

"What are you…?" LJ stopped mid sentence as he noticed his dad in clothes that seemed a bit too dressy for this time of the morning. "Where were you?" When his dad didn't answer right away, "Did you come home last night?" This was met with still more silence. LJ walked straight up to his dad and looked directly in his eyes. He was looking for any thing to give him a clue as to what was going on, why his dad hadn't come home last night because it was clear to him now he hadn't.

"Stop it LJ. Your as bad as your uncle, do you know that."

LJ took a step back and Lincoln walked into the kitchen to get some breakfast. "What does Uncle Mike have to do with you not coming home last night?" LJ said following him.

Grabbing a bowl, spoon, milk and some cereal Lincoln sat down at the table. "Nothing." He was quite as he poured the cereal and milk into a bowl and took a bite. Then almost casually he said, "I had a date last night."

"A date?"

Lincoln looked at his son. "Yea. A date."

A smile appeared on LJ's face. "Way to go dad."

Lincoln snorted and took another bite. "Thanks. I think." LJ grabbed another bowl and sat across from his dad. After he'd taken a few bites of his own cereal, "We need to straighten up the house. Clean a little."

"Why?"

"I've invited her to come over tonight."

"So this is serious? I mean you like this woman?"

"Yes LJ. I like her. And her name is Sam."

~

Sara's first conscious thought was of how tired her muscles still felt. Opening her eyes, she looked over at the clock. Nine-twenty five. Eight and a half hours of sleep so she couldn't complain. Hearing the shower going, she knew she was alone in the bed. Rolling onto her back, she stretched before throwing the sheet off her body. Smiling, she knew exactly what she needed to wake herself up and he was right in the other room. Removing her clothes, she made her way to the bathroom.

Quietly opening the door, she stood for a moment and took in the sight before her. Michael's arms were stiff out in front of him supporting his weight. His head was down, under the spray. The curtain blocked out the details of his figure, but she knew that the muscles in his neck and shoulders were tight and tense. Not waiting any longer, she reached out to open the curtain and stepped inside.

Michael heard her open the door but he hadn't moved. Continuing to let the hot spray of the shower fall over his entire body, he remained still until he felt her arms come around him. Her hands rested on his shoulders as her soft body pressed against him. He straightened as her lips made contact with his shoulder. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked.

He didn't answer right away; too busy trying to wash away the demons that had been hounding him last night. It seemed he would never get away from his past and although the notoriety was more of an annoyance than anything, it was the fear he saw in that one man's eyes that had been haunting him throughout the night over and over again. He kept seeing the dilation of his pupils, the tension in his face, the slight tremble in his hands, the way his eyes had quickly taken assessment of those around him and the exits. Finally, "A little." The only response he got out of her from his admission was more soft kisses to his back and after a while, the tension did begin to leave him.

Sara knew he was suffering and knew why. She'd done some more research on L.L.I. while he'd been in prison but that wasn't it. She knew Michael. His desire to help people went above and beyond and seeing someone afraid of him brought a burden to his shoulders almost too much for him to bare. Almost. Michael would bare it as he had everything else, no matter what the cost to him. And the fact that this was a stranger made it worse in some ways because he would feel there was no way to make it right.

As she felt him begin to relax against her, she reached out and grabbed the soap. Stepping back only slightly she lathered her hands and began soaping his back and shoulders, taking the time to work the tension out of them. Pressing into his back again, she slid her soapy hands down his arms and then back again. Adding more soap to her hands she moved to his chest. As she moved lower, she heard his breathing change and body tense. Instead of taking hold of him, however, she bent down and washed first one leg and then the other.

When she stood back up, he turned to face her. "My turn." He said.

Sara gladly handed him the soap as they changed places. He set the bar down and reached up to help her wet her hair. Reaching first for the shampoo and then the conditioner. He took his time and massaged her scalp with his fingers. The sensation felt so good. It was relaxing every muscle in her body. As he helped her rinse the conditioner from her hair, he brought his lips down to brush over hers. The kiss was light, flirty. But it still sent tingles down her spin.

She was still facing him when he reached for the soap again. Lathering it in his hands, he began at her back just as she had done with him. Then down her arms and back up. More soap as he cleaned her neck and then moved to her chest pausing slightly as his hands cupped her breast and his thumbs brushed lightly over her nipples making them harden. Sliding down, he mimicked her actions and moved first down one leg and then started back up the other. But instead of continuing up to stand as she had done, he remained kneeling and looked up at her.

His slippery hand moved up the inside of her leg until it found her damp curls. She gasped as she felt his soapy fingers move between her folds and rub her clit. He lingered a little longer than necessary for cleaning before removing his hand from between her legs, but he didn't go far. Instead, remaining in his current position he reached behind him into the stream of the shower.

Bringing his hands back around, she could see he'd cupped his palms and they were full of clean water. He brought them between her legs again and rinsed the soap from her. He repeated the motion several times before he was satisfied he'd gotten everything. Finally he stood.

Stepping out of the spray, she pressed her wet body against his and brought her lips to kiss the pulse at the base of his neck. Her tongue darted out to capture a water droplet as it made his mark down his skin. A moan escaped from Michael as her lips and tongue made their mark on his wet body.

Her body plastered to his, hard nipples pressing into his chest. Hands on her hips he roughly pulled her lower body closer, letting her fully feel his hardness. This time the moan that was heard in the steam filled shower was hers.

Sara continued to move along his upper body with her mouth. He needed to feel her heat surrounding him, and he couldn't wait any longer. Moving his right hand to cup her curves, he bent his knees and lifted her.

Letting out a small gasp, Sara wrapped her arms around his shoulders as her legs circled his waist. The movement broke the assault of her mouth and with her lips free, he captured them with his own. Turning, he braced her against the wall of the shower as he reached between them to guide himself into the warmth he was seeking.

Rising slightly to give him better access, she felt his hand press on her hips guiding her down. Michael pulled her upper body back slightly and watched her as he finished joining them. Back arched, her head fell back against the wall and she was watching him. As he began to move, her eyes first drifted closed and then opened again. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he moved a little faster, harder. Placing his right hand on her neck, he brought his mouth down onto hers as his aggressive tongue told her of his desire.

Pulling back their upper bodies no longer touching, he kept eye contact as his hand began moving down her body stopping briefly at her breast and then moving to where they were joined. Slipping his fingers in a circular motion across her sensitive flesh, he saw her eyes close a moment before he felt her inner muscles clench around him and a high-pitched scream rip from deep within her throat. Seeing her fall into ecstasy was it for him. With a final hard thrust, her name came from his lips in a low primal growl as he let go.

Michael's head rested against her shoulder, her legs still wrapped around his waist. She placed a kiss on his neck and let her legs fall to the shower floor. He raised his head, their faces only inches away as he bend down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He wanted to say thank you but that seemed so inappropriate. Every time he started to sink into the darkness she was there. She's his lifeline. His anchor.

Before he could say anything to her though, she was reaching again for the soap. Washing herself again, she handed the soap to him to do the same but before she stepped out of the shower she brushed her lips against his shoulder. "I know." Then she was gone.

~

At eleven-thirty Michael and Sara headed out the door and with a quick goodbye went their separate ways. Michael was picking Lincoln and LJ up to go have a fitting for their suits and Sara was meeting Vicki for lunch. She'd decided to take a Saturday off shopping for her elusive dress.

Sara pulled up to a light blue two-story house only twelve minutes from their apartment. Getting out of the car, she saw the front door open to reveal a now obviously pregnant Vicki. At five months, her bump although still small stuck out from her previously flat stomach. As Sara closed the final steps separating them, Vicki reached out and hugged her. "It's good to see you again Sara."

Sara hugged her back and smiled. "You too."

As she walked inside she took in the house. Thinking an apartment wouldn't be the best for their new baby, they'd bought a new house and had just moved in about a month ago. Sara and Vicki had talked on the phone several times over the last few months but this was the first time they'd seen each other since New Year's.

Sara followed Vicki into the kitchen. "So? What do you think?"

"It's very nice. The question is do you like it?" Sara could see her friend was obviously very happy.

"We love it. It has four bedrooms so we have plenty of room." Vicki reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a large bowl. "I made salad's for us. I hope that's ok."

"It's fine." Sara assured her. Vicki grabbed some utensils and set the bowl on the table. "What else do we need?" Sara asked.

"The plates are in the cupboard on the right. I think I have everything else out already."  
Sara brought the plates to the table and sat down. They began scooping salad onto their plates. "So how are the wedding plans?"

Sara finished her bite before she answered. "Good. I still haven't found a dress, but everything else seems to be falling into place. I have to pick up the invitations this afternoon, flowers are ordered, cake ordered, the guys are getting fitted for their suits as we speak, bridesmaids dresses bought, and deposit on honeymoon made. I don't think I've forgotten anything." She laughed.

Vicki laughed. "I remember all that. It seemed like the last three months both took forever and flew by all at the same time. There never seemed to be enough time for anything."

"Your can say that again." Sara said. "Although all of those things are done, I still have to send OUT the invitations, do a final check on the flowers the week before, confirm the final menu with Carol at the bed and breakfast, confirm and make the final payment on the honeymoon cabin and if that wasn't enough to do…I still have the dress dilemma."

"Well I might have a solution to your dress dilemma if your up for it."

Sara gave a little laugh. "I think at this point I'm up for just about anything."

With a huge grin on her face, Vicki got up and left the room leaving Sara wondering what was going on. Two minutes later she returned holding a business card, which she handed to Sara. "She's a friend of mine. She makes dresses and she's very good. Tell her I sent you and she'll fix you up."

Sara looked at the card and then at her friend. "Vicki I don't know. I mean the wedding is only two months away."

Vicki waved her doubts away. "It'll be fine. I've seen her make a dress in half that time. Just tell her what your looking for, what you want and she'll make it for you." When Sara just sat there in deep contemplation Vicki added, "Trust me."

After another moment, Sara stuck the card in her purse. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." Vicki smiled. "Now. Tell me about this honeymoon. Where will the new Mr. and Mrs. Scofield be going?"

"Maine."

"Ok not what I expected. May I ask why Maine?"

"Well…we had to stay in the states since Michael doesn't have a passport and we both wanted to go somewhere we've never been before. About a month ago, Michael was surfing the net and found a secluded cabin on the beach just outside of a small coastal town. We both loved it instantly so we called the next day to see if it was available."

"Well it has all the honeymoon requirements that's for sure. So are you leaving right after the wedding?"

"No." Sara said finishing off her salad. "He has one final meeting with his parole officer on Monday. We'll leave after that."

~

Sara had beat Michael home and was sitting on the couch when he came in the door just after four. She'd stopped and picked up the invitations on her way home. They'd wanted her to look them over in the store so she did. The moment she saw her name next to Michael's the tears had begun to fall. The poor sales clerk, not knowing how to react to his customer's waterworks, had placed a hand on her shoulder and asked if she was alright. She'd quickly closed the lid to the box and nodded.

The entire ride home she'd glanced at the box of invitations sitting in the seat next to her. As soon as she'd gotten inside the apartment she sat on the couch and reopened the box, taking out one of invitations. This time she'd didn't try to stop the tears as she ran her fingers over the raised lettering.

Sara Tancredi and Michael Scofield  
Request the honor of your presence

That was as far as she got every time she started to read. They were really getting married. In two months she would no longer be Sara Tancredi. She would be Sara Scofield.

This was how he found her. She'd heard the door open but was so lost in her joy she didn't look up until he said her name.

When she raised her head, Michael saw her tears. Quickly making his way to her side, he sat next to her and saw what she was holding in her hand. Their wedding invitation. "Sara?" he asked again, reaching out for her hand. Finally turning her face to him, he realized she was smiling.

Adjusting her hand, she laced her fingers through his. They sat in silence for a long time before she put the invitation down and wiped at the tears. "In fifty six days I won't be Sara Tancredi anymore."

Michael was still a little confused and this didn't help. Was she sad about that? Happy? But he wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to ask her to clarify it for him. Luckily he didn't have to. She turned to him, leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I can't believe this is really happening Michael. I can't believe that in fifty six days I'm going to be your wife." The smile on her face was unmistakable. She was beaming.

Bringing their joined hands up to his lips, he placed a kiss on the finger that now wore his engagement ring and would in fifty six short days also bare a wedding band. "I'm so happy you are going to be my wife Sara."

"Me too." She whispered.

~

At five forty-five Lincoln left LJ and Jessica at the house watching TV while he went to pick up Sam telling them he'd be back in about a half hour. "Do you want something to drink LJ?" Jessica asked.

"No. I'm good."

"Ok." She said as she got up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen.

Head in the refrigerator, she didn't hear him come in so when he wrapped his arms around her waist she jumped. "Did I scare you?" he asked with a smile as he buried his face in her hair.

"A little." She reached again for the juice she'd been grabbing and then dropped when he'd startled her knowing full well the position was pressing her butt directly into him. The knowledge of what she was probably doing to him made her smile. Her roommate, without notice, had driven home last night for the weekend so she had every intention of inviting LJ to stay with her tonight. It had been so long for them, over a month. They had no privacy with her living in a dorm with a roommate and him with his father.

When she righted herself juice in hand, she continued to lean into him and felt him press against her. "What are you doing?" he said on a breath.

"Tonya's gone and won't be back until Sunday night." She said with an air of excitement.

Catching on to what she was implying, he brought his hands to her sides and adjusted the pressure to skirt up her sides causing her to begin giggling. "LJ!" she scolded as she began squirming.

"And just what are you suggesting?" he whispered against her neck sending another shiver down her spine.

Jessica turned her body and skirted away from him. Laying the juice on the counter, she quickly made her way out of the room laughing. LJ darted after her. After several twists and turns he cornered her in his bedroom. He was between her and the door. She had nowhere to go. Both of them were laughing and out of breath. She made a move to go around him and he caught her by the waist. Pulling her with him, he let his momentum take them down and fell onto his bed.

She lay over him with a huge smile on her face. With one hand on her hip, his other hand pulled her face down to his mouth. Kissing him back, their laughter quickly became something else entirely. Her hands slid to the hem of his shirt and found skin.

Their kisses became more urgent as their hands began to seek more. His hand moved up her back and unhooked her bra. Suddenly they heard the front door opening and breathlessly they broke apart. Jessica rolled off him, refastened her bra and fixed her shirt. LJ took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before getting up. Reaching out his hand to Jessica they made their way back out into the living room, both disappointed their privacy had been yet again interrupted.

~

Michael and Sara had arrived at Lincoln's a little early. Seeing LJ's car in the driveway, they'd knocked but after several minutes and yet another hard pounding of the door there'd been no answer. Taking out his keys Michael had let them in. His eyes had quickly scanned to see if anything was out of place, if there was any sign of danger. He'd seen the TV on and had went into the kitchen to see if maybe LJ was busy and just hadn't heard them. With no luck there he was beginning to get worried and was just beginning to head for the hallway when LJ, with a slightly flustered Jessica appeared.

LJ stopped short after almost colliding with his uncle. "Uncle Mike."

"LJ." Michael looked them both up and down and when he came to Jessica's eyes she looked away. "Why didn't you…?"

Sara had seen the signs all too clearly the minute the young couple appeared in the hall. She'd had that slightly disheveled look herself more than once and Jessica was obviously not doing well under Michael's intense scrutiny. "Where's your dad LJ?" Sara asked as she slid up beside Michael and placed a hand on his arm silencing him.

LJ's attention shifted to Sara. "Uh…he went to pick up Sam."

"I see." Sara felt she needed to defuse the situation since she could still feel the tension in Michael. Turning her attention to Jessica. "Do you think you could help me for a minute. I want to get some thing from the car and I'd like to show you the invitations I picked up today."

"Yea sure." Jessica said rather shyly as she moved to follow Sara back outside.

Once the women left, LJ stared at his uncle. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You know what. Not everyone is used to your intense stares Uncle Mike. Your making Jess feel uncomfortable."

"I'm making Jessica feel uncomfortable? Correct me if I'm wrong LJ, but I was just walking through this house in a near panic because you were too busy making out with your girlfriend to hear us knocking." Michael voice was on the edge of control.

LJ turned around and walked back to his room. Not wanting to blow like his dad, he needed to cool off but Michael wasn't having it. Following LJ into his bedroom he shut the door behind them.

LJ heard the door shut but kept his back to his uncle. Neither one said a word, both of them concentrating on slowing their breathing. It was Michael who spoke first. "I'm sorry LJ." He sighed. "It's just when I walked in and the TV was on, your car in the drive, and no one in the house…"

LJ sighed himself and turned to face his uncle. "It's ok. I understand. I'm sorry I made you worry. But please don't take this out on Jess. She has too much to worry about right now without feeling self conscious about this."

The side of Michael's mouth pulled at a smile. "Having a little trouble with privacy?"

"You have no idea."

Michael laughed this time. "Oh LJ. Yes I do."

~

Sara had put the invitations back into the car. Jessica was leaning against the side of the car with her eyes downcast. "Thank you." She whispered.

Almost not hearing the young woman, Sara paused a moment before she finished shutting the door. "Your welcome." Turning, she leaned back against the car beside Jessica. "Don't worry about Michael. He'd not upset with you. He just got worried when he came in the house and couldn't find anyone. My fiancé doesn't do well with surprises."

Jessica gave a little groan. "I didn't mean for it to go that far."

Sara gave a little chuckle. "And exactly how FAR were you meaning for it to go."

Jessica gave a weary smile. "I don't know. I just thought…" She sighed. "Oh never mind."

Sara reached out. "Jess if you need to talk to someone…I will listen you know."

"I know. And I appreciated it. It just feels a little weird talking to LJ's aunt about our…" Jessica just could not bring herself to finish that sentence.

Sara smiled at Jessica's obvious shyness. "Well I'm not his aunt quite yet. Try me."

At first she didn't think Jessica was going to answer. Then in a small voice she said. "We're never alone. Not really. Here there's always his dad. At the dorm, there's Tonya. And LJ refuses to do anything in the car. Says I'm worth more than that. Which is sweet, but…I just want to be with him and…" Finally she was gaining confidence but with it was also rising emotion. "And in less than a month I may be going back home with my parents for good."

Sara pulled the girl into her for a hug and Jessica clung back to her. "Shh. It will be ok."

Jessica pulled back and wiped at her tears. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be…"

"Don't apologize. You want to be with your man. I can relate."

Just then, Lincoln pulled into the driveway with Sam. Jessica groaned again. "Oh no."

Sara gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Why don't you go inside, get cleaned up and find LJ. I'll go greet Lincoln and his girlfriend." Jessica just nodded and left.

Sara watched Sam get out of the car. The woman wasn't what she'd been expecting. Where Lincoln was tall with broad shoulders; Sam was slender, of average height maybe five five with dark brown hair. As she came up to stand next to Lincoln, the height differences became clear as Sam only came up to just above his shoulder.

Lincoln put his arm around Sam's waist and guided her over to meet Sara. "Sam this is Sara, my brother's fiancé. Sara this is Sam."

"It's nice to meet you Sara. Lincoln's told me how you were able to hold your own surrounded by all these men."

Sara didn't know if Sam was talking about her time at Fox River or her time with Lincoln, LJ, and Michael. Either way it was enough to make her laugh. "Well thanks. It was touch and go though at times."

Sam laughed as well. "I can only imagine."

They moved inside and Sam met the rest of the group. Lincoln excused himself to order the pizza while everyone gathered in the living room. He'd decided to have the pizza delivered tonight rather than going to pick it up since he'd not wanted to leave Sam alone with his family on her first run.

When the pizza arrived everyone dug in with their usually gusto and Sam didn't hold back either. About half way though dinner Lincoln began to relax. Things were going well. Sam insisted on helping him clean up and when they were alone in the kitchen she slid up beside him, "So do you think I passed the test?" she said with a teasing smile.

Lincoln threw the paper towel he had in the trash and slid his arms around her waist. Her arms came up to circle his neck. "Mmmm." Was all he said has he bent to kiss her.

"Ahem."

Lincoln looked up to find his son. With a sigh, he let go of Sam.

Sam looked first at LJ, then at Lincoln, and then back at LJ. "Hum. I'll give you two a minute." She said excusing herself.

Lincoln grabbed the lone remaining pizza box and put it in the fridge while he waited for his son to say whatever was on his mind. LJ stepped into the room a little further. "I like her dad."

"That's good son. I like her too."

After a few more minutes of silence LJ added. "I packed an overnight bag. I'm staying over at Jess's tonight so if Sam…"

"LJ." Lincoln paused. "Son let me worry about my own sex life okay."

LJ blushed, turned around and left.

Scrabble had been the game of the night. Sam had provided quite a bit of competition for the usual dominate Michael, which made Lincoln smile. LJ and Jessica were the first to leave. Once ten o'clock rolled around, the two started eyeing the clock every few minutes. Finally Lincoln had had enough and told them to just get going.

LJ retrieved his bag from the bedroom, said their goodbyes and headed out. Michael and Sara stayed for another thirty minutes before saying their goodbyes as well, leaving Sam and Lincoln alone. Lincoln gathered up the game board and put it in the closet. Turning back to Sam he asked, "Want me to drive you home?"

Sam stood and walked over to stand in front of him, not touching. "Do you want to drive me home?"

"No." Lincoln said honestly.

Sam smiled. "Good." Closing the distance between them, she slid her arms around his neck. "Now. Where were we earlier before we were interrupted."

~

Unlocking her door, Jessica and LJ walked into the small room. Moving to turn the lamp on by her bed, Jessica reached for her bathroom supplies and headed down the hall. LJ reached into his bag and did the same. By the time he got back to the room, Jess was already there and the sight of her stopped him in his tracks. He hadn't been long in the bathroom, but somehow she'd managed not only to beat him back to the room but also to get herself into a silk nightgown he'd never seen before.

She was sitting in her twin bed, her hair brushing her bare shoulders. The gown she wore, of which he could only see the top half, was light pink. Thin straps led to triangles of fabric to cover her breast and smooth silk covered her until it disappeared underneath the blanket. She was watching him watching her. It wasn't until his eyes met hers again that he moved from his place leaning against the now closed door.

He stood beside the bed and looked down at her. She looked up at him. When she reached up, he sat down on the edge of the bed. Without saying a word, she reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Her hands reached for the snap of his jeans and he stopped her.

LJ leaned in and kissed her before standing up and removing his jeans himself. Walking to the door, he locked it and turned off the main light leaving only the bedside lamp to illuminate the room. Jessica moved over as LJ approached the bed again and he slid in next to her, turning on his side so they were lying face to face.

Jessica was the first to reach out placing her hand on his chest. Sliding closer she held his eyes for a moment bring her lips to kiss him. His hand found her waist and pulled her closer. His fingers slid on the silk and he could feel her skin underneath his hand.

The kiss became more intense and Jessica held onto him, almost frantic. After a few minutes LJ pulled back trying to slow things down. She leaned back in and he held her back. "Jess?" he questioned.

She was breathless herself. "What? What's wrong?"

His body was not helping him at the moment. Closing his eyes he tried for a deep breath but didn't quite get one. When Jess leaned in again, he pulled back enough to put space between them. He saw the hurt look in her eyes. Reaching out, he brushed the hair away from her face. "Jess what's wrong? Why are you pushing?"

"I'm not."

"Jess." He said quietly.

Instead of answering Jessica rolled over, turning her back to him. He gave her a minute and then moved to spoon her, chin resting on her shoulder. "Do you want me to leave?" She shook her head no. Sighing he placed a kiss on her shoulder. "So what's wrong? This isn't you."

She sighed. "I'm sorry LJ. I didn't mean to be…" she didn't finish. "I just want this. You and me. And I'm so afraid right now. Afraid mom and dad will come and take me away from you, from us." She finally turned back to face him, tears in her eyes.

LJ leaned down and kissed her softly. "Jessica I'm not going anywhere." She started to say something but he stopped her. "Even if your parents decide not to let you come back that doesn't mean it will change the way I feel about you."

Jessica closed her eyes tight trying to stop the tears as her next words were ripped from her throat. "Yes it does. You'll move on, find someone else."

Turning her completely to face him, he wrapped both of his arms around her. "Jessica no one knows the future but I can tell you this. I've never felt this way about anyone before and I'm not giving up on us that easily, even if you're a thousand miles away. Okay?"

"Okay." She whispered and rested her head on his chest. LJ's thumbs were massaging her back as he held her. They lay in silence for several long minutes before she raised her head. "LJ?"

"Yes?"

Jessica brought her lips up to his and softly kissed him. "Make love to me." She whispered.

LJ's lips found hers and began a soft, slow seduction. Rolling them over, he was posed above her. His lips left hers and made a path to her ear. "I love you Jessica Rice." He whispered as he began a gentle assault on that part of her body.

Those were the last words either spoke as they enjoyed what they knew would be their last night together for a long time to come.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**I am begging for reviews this time. This long of a chapter has to deserve a few, right?**


	56. Chapter 56

Friday May 14th – two weeks later

Sara drove to work that morning already exhausted. The last two weeks few by with everything going on with the wedding and on top of that a doctor had been on vacation so she'd been helping to cover, which meant she'd been working five days a week instead of four. Thankfully the doctor would be back on Monday but that wasn't going to help her get through today.

They'd met again with Ron Keller last week after her fourth twelve-hour shift in a row, and the topic of the night was Michael's prison time. How it had changed his life, him and how they were dealing with those changes both separately and as a couple. Although it was a little awkward at first, especially for Michael, Sara figured she'd much rather be talking about that than their past relationships.

Michael's workload seemed to decrease somewhat with him now only working late one night a week and no longer bringing work home. He'd helped with what he could and even sent out the invitations. But with her not having her normal Wednesday's off, it meant she had to cram even more into her weekends.

She'd met with Vicki's friend, Holly, last Saturday for two hours. They'd talked about style, fashion, and what Sara liked and didn't like. She'd seen samples of some of the dresses Holly was working on and pictures of dress's she'd done in the past. Vicki was right her friend was quite talented. Sara was supposed to meet with Holly again tomorrow but with how she felt now, she had no idea how she was going to be getting out of bed tomorrow.

Sara parked her car and made her way into the hospital. Over the last few months most of the hospital staff had calmed down and accepted her engagement to Michael. Most. Not all. Jean, who was becoming the thorn in Sara's side, still made her opinion quite clear on the subject. Luckily Sara didn't have to work with her often, but looking at the floor schedule for today it seemed her luck had ran out. Jane had been assigned to be her nurse.

~

By the time Sara's evening break rolled around, she was at her wits end. Jean, while not technically doing anything wrong, was being a royal pain. When Sara had to communicate with her about a patient, Jean would make her work extra hard. She'd repeat everything Sara said down to the letter, "just to make sure she got everything right." Sara didn't understand it. What had she ever done to this woman? Seeing Mary across the cafeteria she made her way over and plopped down in an open chair with her coffee.

"Rough day?" Mary asked.

"You could say that a thousand times over and it wouldn't even come close." Sara said as she ran her hands over her face and up over her hair.

Mary nodded. "Saw they stuck you with Jean today."

Sara sighed. "I just don't get it Mary. She was fine until she found out about Michael."

"Maybe you should ask her."

"Maybe I should." Sara said in a defeated voice. "But not today. Today I just need to make it through the next two hours."

"Yea I know. I'm not exactly running on a full tank either after pulling an extra shift for the last two weeks. And I'm not trying to plan a wedding."

"I don't know how I'm still functioning to tell you the truth. If it wasn't for Michael I don't think I would be. I haven't worked this hard since residency."

Mary laughed. "Well I'm sure coming home to that man every night has to have some fringe benefits."

This actually got a smile out of Sara. It was her first real smile of the day. "Yes. That it does."

The two finished their coffees and headed back up to finish their shifts.

~

By the time Sara walked into their apartment at seven thirty that night, every muscle in her body was screaming. As she put her purse down, Michael poked his head out of the bedroom. "Hey." He said.

"Hey." She said with a lot less enthusiasm.

Walking over to her, he brought his hands up to cup her face and gave her a soft kiss. Pulling back, he left his hands where they were and made tiny circles with his thumbs on her cheeks. "Why don't you go sit down and I'll get you some food." He waited for her to respond, but when she just looked at him with weary eyes he bent down and placed another peck to her lips before leading her over to the couch. Once she was settled, he disappeared into the kitchen.

When Michael came back with a plate of food it took all of her effort just to get it down. Her mind wasn't so bad but it was her body. For whatever reason, she felt so drained. While she ate, Michael disappeared into the bedroom. But he came back out to retrieve her empty plate and take it into the kitchen when he heard her set it on the coffee table. When he returned, she hadn't moved. He reached out his hand to her. "Come on."  
"Michael I can't. Just give me a minute. I'm just…" She tried to smile at him. "Thank you for dinner. I just don't seem to have any energy."

Michael seemed to consider this for a second and then he bent down and swung her into his arms. "Michael what are you doing?" She demanded as she grabbed onto his shoulders. He didn't answer her, he just gave her one of his killer smiles.

In the bedroom, he sat her down on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes and socks. Then he began to remove her shirt. "Michael…"

"Shhh." He said as he slipped her top over her head. He reached behind her and released her bra, sliding it down her arms and setting it aside. She sat before him topless, the look on his face one of concentration and concern.

His fingers moved to the button of her kakis. After sliding the zipper down, his hands moved to her waist as he tugged gently down. Sara raised her hips slightly to help him and when she looked down he'd not only removed her kakis but her panties as well. She sat before him totally naked.

Michael stood. Bending down he placed another small kiss on her tired lips. "Lay down Sara. On your stomach." She looked up at him, her eyes questioning but he didn't elaborate. In the end, she did as he asked.

Laying down flat on her stomach her eyes following him, she watched as he removed all but his boxers and climbed into the bed beside her. Then she felt his hands. They started in her hair, massaging her scalp. She heard herself let out a soft moan. She loved when he ran his fingers through her hair.

His hands moved to her neck and shoulders. At first his touch was light and then he increased the pressure as he kneaded the tension from her tired muscles. Sara's body was beginning to relax under his touch. She could feel the stress of her day, her week melting away. This was just another instance where Michael's attention to detail came in handy as he took each muscle in turn until he was satisfied.

Working his way down her back, she also started to feel another type of tension beginning to build. Michael's touch was perfectly innocent. But whenever or however he touched her, it always created a warm pleasant feeling deep in her core.

His hands skimmed her curves as he moved on to her legs, giving each one painstaking attention. Starting just below her hip and working his way clear down to her toes he coxed each muscle into submission. When he reached the bottom of her second leg, he let his hands lightly skirt her skin as he lay down beside her.

Laying face to face, he brushed a lose hair behind her ear. "Feeling any better?"

"Yes." She whispered. "Thank you." Michael smiled and she felt her heart pick up speed. His hand rested on her cheek. Pressing her face against his palm, she turned her head slightly so her lips brushed back and forth against the inside of his hand. Her eyes remained steady on his.

She heard his breath begin to change and then a question. "Sara?"

"I thought you were more through Scofield." When she was met with his questioning eyes, she placed a final kiss on the inside of his palm and rolled over onto her back. "You still have a whole other side that needs your attention."

She saw him swallow and then close his eyes for a moment. His hand was still on her, resting just above her shoulder. When he opened his eyes again, they were no longer impassive. He closed the small distance between them and found her lips.

He'd been keeping himself in check while he'd been giving her a massage. It'd taken immense concentration on his part, but he'd focused on working the muscles and not on how good she felt under his hands. He knew how tired she was. The long days seemed to be getting to her more and more.

Even in the mornings she seemed to be tired before her day started. He was glad this was the last week she had to work the extra shift and things would get back to normal. For the last few months she would come have lunch with him on her day off and over these last two weeks he found he'd missed that.

Now she was laying before him, completely bare and asking him to touch her in the way every cell in his body wanted to from the moment he'd removed her top. As he bent his head to kiss the lips that beckoned him even in his dreams, he felt the control he'd been holding on to slipping.

When their mouths connected, he felt her lips part for him as his tongue slipped inside to taste her. He was leaning over her, hand in her hair, pressing against her hip as he increased the pressure of his lips. Deep within her throat he heard her moan and felt her chest rise and fall in increasingly rapid breathes against his own.

Hearing her, feeling her, was sending him closer and closer to the edge. He needed to slow things down. He didn't want to but he had to. Hand on her shoulder he pulled away and heard a soft whine escape from her lips as he pulled away.

"What's wrong?" she asked breathless.

Closing his eyes, trying to catch his own breath. "Nothing. I just…we need to slow down."

"Why?" she asked as she reached to pull him back to her.

His eyes remained closed and she could tell his was trying to focus. "Because this was supposed to be for you. To help you relax."

Sara ran her hands down his chest over the intricate tattoos. Down to his boxers until she came to the part of him that was aching for her. "So help me relax Michael." She said in a husky whisper as she rubbed her hand against him.

When she touched him, he thought he was going to lose his mind. Releasing a low growl from deep within he chest, his hips arched into her palm. "Come here." He heard her say and decided to stop resisting. Falling on top of her, both hands delved into her hair as his lips crashed onto hers. Her hand remained between their bodies and had now wrapped around him, stroking and squeezing him. She drove him crazy every single time. He couldn't get enough of her and with every aggressive stroke of his tongue he let her know.

Feeling her hands tug at the only material separating them, he raised himself to his knees and helped her push his boxers down his legs as their tongues continued their dance. As soon as he was free, she was coaxing him between her legs and he went willingly. He could feel her heat before him. Breaking their kiss, he looked into her eyes as he entered her and she gasped his name.

Sometimes their lovemaking was slow sometimes it was frantic. But it was always an unforgettable experience for him. She held onto him as he moved inside her, her eyes closed and head thrown back enjoying the sensations coursing through her body. He loved to watch her facial expressions while he made love to her. She was so beautiful, so open. Her hands gripped his shoulders, her back arched as he watched her reach her climax. Knowing she'd found her release he let himself go and within seconds he collapsed on top of her spent himself.

Rising up to remove his body from her, he softly rubbed his lips against her forehead. "You are so beautiful. I love watching you."

"You do, do you?" she said sleepily.

"I do." Placing a kiss on her slightly parted lips he moved to lay beside her and pulled her against him.

She settled into his chest and moments later she was asleep.

~

Saturday morning Sara slept in allowing her own body to wake her. That turned out to be a mistake when she didn't wake until almost eleven. She'd had to quickly shower and get ready for her meeting at twelve with Holly.

When she'd arrive at Holly's studio, five sketches were laid before her along with several fabric samples. Right away one of the sketches jumped out at her. "This one." She said almost reverently.

Holly looked at the sketch and then at Sara. "It will look beautiful on you." She smiled. "Now. We just have to choose the fabric."

The material had taken a little longer to choose but eventually Sara had found one she liked and Holly agreed it would work perfectly with the design she'd chosen. After taking some measurements, they made an appointment to meet again next week at the same time for Sara to try on some rough pieces for the gown.

She should be on top of the world at finally finding a dress and she was, but she was also exhausted after the last two weeks. She headed home and seeing Michael was out, took the opportunity to run herself a bath. Which is where Michael found her almost an hour later when he came home.

"Sara?"

"In here."

He followed her voice into the bathroom and seeing her in the tub, smiled. Leaning over, he gave her a kiss. "How'd things go today?"

Feeling the warmth of his lips, Sara realized how cool her water had gotten. As he pulled back, she reached to pull the plug out of the drain and stood reaching for a towel. "Good. Hopefully she'll have some basics for me to try on next week." Sara said with a huge grin.

Michael stood watching her and took a deep breath. If they were going to make it to Lincoln's tonight he needed to curb his thoughts and fast. "Good." He said. "I'll let you finish." And walked quickly from the room.

~

By six thirty, everyone was gathered at Lincoln's. The boys had gone to get the pizza, leaving Sara, Jessica, and Sam alone. Michael and Sara had been the last to arrive but already Sara could tell Jessica's mind wasn't quite focused on the evening, which was understandable since her parents were due to arrive the following week. There was a lot riding on this visit.

Sara had just come back from the bathroom when Sam turned to her. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course not."

"Don't take this the wrong way but…did you know Veronica?"

Sara didn't answer right away and began wringing her hands. "Maybe you should be asking Lincoln about Veronica."

Sam sighed. "I know. It's just…every time I try to bring her up he changes the subject. I know he loved her and she was killed but that's all he'll tell me."

Closing her eyes, Sara considered how to answer. How would she feel if she were in Sam's shoes? Then she had her answer. She'd want to know. Looking Sam in the eye, "I met Veronica but I really didn't know her. I do know Lincoln loved her very much and they'd known each other almost their entire lives. She tried to help Michael and Lincoln but the people who framed Lincoln killed her." Sara paused. She'd decided not to share the details of Veronica's death. That she would leave for Lincoln. "It was very hard for him after she died."

Sam just sat there for a minute and then, "Thank you."

Sara didn't get a chance to say anymore because the door was opening to loud male laughter as the boys returned.

~

Later that night Lincoln dropped Sam off at her house and bent to kiss her goodnight. As his lips touched hers, she responded to him but not with her usual zeal. "You ok?" he asked.

Driving home, Sam had been debating whether or not to tell Lincoln about her conversation with Sara. She felt a little guilty about her questions regarding Veronica but had felt she really didn't have a choice since Lincoln just didn't seem to want to tell her anything. "I'm fine. It's just…" She wasn't sure how he would react but… "I talked to Sara tonight. While you went to get the pizza."

A small smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah? What about?"

Closing her eyes she took a calming breath. "Veronica." When she opened her eyes again, she saw the smile had disappeared. She waited but he didn't respond so she continued. "I wanted to know a little more about her and so I asked." After another moment, "Are you upset?"

Lincoln wasn't really sure what he felt. On one level he WAS upset but there was so much more than that. His emotions were all over the place but as always anger tended to be his first reaction to every thing. Trying to keep his temper under control he abruptly turned to leave. When she reached out to him, he shrugged her off. "I gotta go." He said gruffly.

She watched him quickly make his way to his car, get in and drive off. Unlocking her door, Sam stepped inside and sank to her knees. What had she done?


	57. Chapter 57

Late Tuesday night Sara got a call from LJ saying Jessica had just received a call from her parents and they should be there by noon tomorrow. Apparently Jessica asked to meet her parents by herself, which LJ was not happy about. "Why won't she let me be there with her Sara?"

"I don't know." Sara tried to sound comforting. "Maybe she just wants to do this on her own." They'd talked for a while longer but Sara still felt his sadness over the phone. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do. It would be time soon enough for everyone to come together and support Jessica but for whatever reason she wanted to do this one on her own.

~

At twelve thirty Wednesday afternoon, Tom and Megan Rice pulled up outside of their daughter's dormitory. They hadn't been here since they'd dropped her off back in late August but for some reason it seemed different to them now. For some reason, it seemed like shadows and secrets were hiding here they hadn't seen before.

Jessica had been watching for them to arrive from her window. When she saw their car pull up, so many emotions flooded through her. She was happy to see them again she did miss them, but she was also very scared. Scared because they had the power to take so much away from her if the next seven days didn't go well. She'd told LJ she wanted to meet them on her own but now she doubted that decision. Closing her eyes she tried to feel him next to her, his arm around her. Opening them again, she saw her parents getting out of the car. Taking a deep breath she turned from the window and made her way to greet them.

By the time she made it out of the building her parents were halfway up the sidewalk. Seeing her they smiled and she closed the distance. Her mom enveloped her in a tight hug. "How are you baby?"

"I'm good mom." She said muffled in her embrace. Turning, "Hi dad." He reached for her and she fell into his arms as they pulled her close.

Greetings complete her dad said. "Were a little later than we planned. Your mom saw an antique shop about an hour ago and insisted we stop. You know how she's been trying to find a matching candle stick for the one your niece broke."

"Yea I know dad." She smiled. "Did you have lunch?"

"No and I'm STARVING." He dad said.

"Your always starving dad." Both she and her mom gave a chuckle. "I haven't eaten yet either, the cafeteria is still open if you want to get something."

Her mom put an arm around her. "That sounds just lovely dear. Lead the way."

After each got a try of food, they took a seat at one of the far tables and began to eat. After a while, Jessica could tell her mother wanted to say something. She just had that look on her face. "What mom?"

Her mom just gave her a knowing smile. "I'm surprised LJ isn't here that's all."

"Oh." Jessica said. "Well he's…"

"Are you two not together anymore?"

"Yes we're still together. I just…I just wanted to meet you by myself."

"Oh." Her mom said sounding a little disappointed.

Jessica took a deep breath and looked at her parents. "Are you even going to give them a chance?"

They both stopped eating and looked at her but it was her mom that finally answered. "Of course we are dear."

Jessica gave a skeptical look back to her mom.

Focusing again on eating her mom asked, "So what are your plans for the rest of the day? Do you have class?"

Apparently her parents had tabled the subject of LJ's family for now. "Yes. I have my first final at three."

"Your ready?" Her dad asked.

"Yes. More than ready."

Her dad just nodded.

"So what about tonight? Any plans?"

Jessica swallowed. "We can do anything you want. I could take you to see some of the sights."

"Jess we're here to see what your life is like. We can see the sights this weekend or when your in class. What would you normally be doing tonight if we weren't here?" When their daughter didn't answer, "Jessica? Did you hear me?"

"Yes dad."

"Well?"

"LJ and I would be going over to Michael and Sara's for dinner."

She saw her parents physically stiffen. But it was her dad who finally spoke. "Well then…do you think it would be ok if we tag along?"

Jessica didn't know if this was better or worse but… "I don't know dad. All I can do is ask." This actually got a smile out of her dad.

After lunch, her parents left her at the dorm while they went to check in at their hotel saying they'd meet her again at six thirty so they could go with she and LJ to dinner. At Michael and Sara's. Jessica's heart was filled with anxious dread as she made her way to her exam.

When she opened the door to Willard Hall, she saw LJ leaning against the wall waiting for her. As soon as he saw her his face lit into a smile that she couldn't help but return. He pushed himself off the wall and she went to him.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, "Hey beautiful." He whispered in her ear.

"Hey." She sighed as she breathed him in. Pulling back a little, "I didn't know you were coming."

"Had to wish my girl luck on her first final." He smiled as he brushed her hair out of her face. Jess took a deep breath and smiled but it didn't quite meet her eyes. "How'd everything go?" he asked.

"Ok. But…"

"But?"

"They want to come with us tonight."

"You mean to Uncle Mike's?"

"Yeah."

She said it so low he almost couldn't hear her. "Why?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. They said they want to see what my life is like and asked me what I'd be doing if they weren't here. Then…then they said they wanted to come. Do you think it'll be alright?"

LJ looked up at the clock and saw Jess only had a few minutes before the start of her exam. Leaning down, he gave her a soft kiss and pushed off the wall grabbing her hand. "Don't worry about it." He said as he walked her down the hall. "I'll call Uncle Mike and let him know there will be six for dinner instead of four." He stopped outside of her door.

"LJ…" she started but he put a finger to her lips to stop her.

"Worry about your exam, not this." Removing his finger he kissed her again. "Good luck." He said as he moved away and she stepped inside.

Walking out of the building LJ pulled out his cell and began to dial his uncle. Half way through he stopped. Maybe he should call Sara instead. She reacted way better to surprises than his uncle and Uncle Mike would probably take the news much better from Sara than from him. Decision made, he dialed the number to the hospital.

~

Sara had switched her day off for the week so they wouldn't have to rush to make it to meet with Ron Keller tomorrow night. She had just finished up with a patient and was walking by the nurse's desk with one of the PA's stopped her. "Dr. Tancredi you have a message." She said handing her a slip of paper. "He asked to have you call him back right away if you could."

"Ok. Thanks." Sara said taking the paper from the young woman. Looking down she saw it was LJ and wondered why he'd be calling her. Knowing Jessica's parents were arriving today, she hoped things hadn't broke down that quickly.

She was still contemplating the reason why LJ was calling her at the hospital when Mary slid up beside her. "Hmm. You aren't cheating on that gorgeous man of yours are you?" She giggled.

Sara gave a little chuckle of her own. "Not a chance." Reaching for the phone across the desk, she began dialing LJ's cell.

"Sara."

"Hey LJ."

"Thanks for getting back to me."

"Sure. Everything ok? You don't usually call and leave messages for me."

"Well there's kind of a situation…with Jess's parents."

Concerned. "What kind of situation?"

"They want to come with us tonight. To your apartment. For dinner."

"I see."

"Anyway…I don't think Jess felt she could really tell them no and I was going to call Uncle Mike, but I know how he is and I thought maybe it would go over better coming from you…instead of me." When Sara didn't say anything in response, "Sara?"

"I'm here LJ. I'm just thinking. Your right. Your uncle is not going to take this well I don't think although he has occasionally surprised me."

"So you'll call him and break the news?"

Sara let out a tense and tired laugh. "Well not the highlight of my day but yea. I'll call him."

"Thank you Sara. I owe you."

"No you don't. I just hope we're able to make a good impression for Jessica."

"I'll make sure we're not early."

"That will help." They disconnected the call and Sara quickly dialed Michael before she was called way. The day had been rather quite but in a hospital one never knew.

Michael must have seen the hospital come up on caller id because he answered. "What's wrong?"

Sara laughed. "What makes you think something's wrong Mr. Scofield? Aren't I allowed to call you at work?"

He sighed audibly. "Of course you are. Sorry. So to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice Dr. Tancredi?"

He was smiling now, she could tell. She tried to sound as upbeat as possible, "LJ just called and they want to still come over for dinner tonight."

"Oh. Well that's great. I thought with her parents in town she'd be spending time with them."

"Well she will. Jessica's parents want to come with them for dinner." Michael didn't respond. After what seemed like an endless number of minutes she began to worry. "Michael? Are you still with me?"

"Yeah." He paused. "It's just…I thought we were all meeting them on Saturday. At Linc's."

"I thought that too but apparently not. Are you going to be ok with this?"

"I'll be…fine. You'll be…"

She knew what he was asking. "I'll be there. I'll see if I can duck out a few minutes early ok."

She heard him sigh again. "I love you."

Smiling. "I love you too."

As the call ended Sara noticed Mary was watching her. "Every thing ok?" she asked.

Sara ran her hands over her hair and down her ponytail. "Let's hope so."

~

LJ arrived showered and dressed nicer than usually at Jessica's dorm just after six. In the lobby he called up to her room to let her know he was there. Standing on the opposite end of the room, he waited to the side for her. When she came down, he noticed she'd also taken a little more time with her appearance for tonight's dinner. Not that she didn't usually look stunning, but she'd changed out of her casual jeans and shirt into a spring sundress and sweater.

Jessica was so glad to see him. Her parents had called about an hour ago and let her know they were settled into their hotel and had given her the number. They weren't due to arrive for at least another twenty minutes so she was grateful for the little bit of time alone she and LJ would have. Coming in for a hug, she gave him a quick kiss. "Why didn't you just come up to the room?"

"Oh no. Not with your parent's here Jess. There are enough bad marks against my family as far as they're concerned. I'm not giving them another reason not to like me."

"They like you LJ." She said softy still not releasing him.

Instead of commenting he said, "So I talked to Sara and they'll be expecting us at seven-thirty. I told Sara I'd make sure we weren't early so…"

"So we need to stall a little. Mom and dad will be here at six-thirty."

LJ's hand's snaked up her back. "Maybe we can take a walk around the campus. It's a nice night."

Jess closed her eyes as his hands reached her shoulder blades and moved back down her back to her hips. "That sounds good."

LJ was lost in watching her. And when she opened her eyes he saw that spark of heat behind her lids. He leaned in and took her bottom lip into his mouth and began sucking on it. She let out a little whimper and leaned into him even more and he deepened the kiss.

They hadn't moved from their spot when they heard aggressive coughing sounds coming from a few feet away. LJ pulled back and looked up to see Jessica's mom and dad. His heart sunk to somewhere where his stomach was supposed to be and his mind began cataloging where his hands currently were and where they'd been in the last few minutes and he dropped his hands down to his sides. He was pretty sure they'd stayed on her back and shoulders. Pretty sure. They moment Jessica saw her mom and dad she stiffened and LJ felt even worse.

Seeing her mom and dad, Jessica understood why LJ's body had all of a sudden become like stone. She removed her hands from his shoulders but didn't step away. Instead she slipped her hand into his before taking a deep breath and turning to her parents. If the looks on their faces were any indication, they didn't look happy to have found their daughter kissing her boyfriend. Well maybe making out with her boyfriend would be a better description.

"Hi." She said trying to sound upbeat to defuse the situation. Looking down at her watch she saw it was six twenty eight. Had she and LJ really been kissing for almost twenty minutes? Apparently.

"Hello Jessica." He dad said.

Ignoring his tone, "We aren't supposed to be over at Mike and Sara's until seven-thirty since she doesn't get off until late so we thought maybe we could all take a walk around campus first. They're adding on to the rec center and building a new admissions building you may want to see." Her dad and mom didn't say anything, but they didn't object either so with her hand securely in LJ's she led them all outside.

~

Lincoln hadn't talked to Sam since Saturday evening when he'd dropped her off. By the time he'd gotten home that night his emotions had continued to over power him. LJ hadn't come back from dropping Jessica off yet for which he was glad. He'd went into the bathroom for a long hot shower, hoping the steam would clear his head. It had helped but only slightly. By the next morning, his anger had dissipated slightly but he still couldn't quite put a voice to all the emotions he was feeling. Finally after getting nowhere in his own head he'd decided he needed to talk to Sam.

When LJ had called him this afternoon saying plans had changed and he and Jess along with her parents, he could only imagine how that was going to go over, were having dinner with Michael and Sara he knew this was the night for him to go see Sam. Now he was parked outside her house having second thoughts. He was not a touchy feely kind of guy who easily talked about how he was feeling and the subject of Vee was especially one he didn't like or want to talk about but on some level he knew it was only naturally for Sam to want to know about her. It wasn't until he looked at the clock on the console and realized he'd been sitting there for thirty minutes that he forced himself to move.

As he stood in front of her door every muscle in his body was telling him to run, to just get in the car and walk away from her. Did he really want to do that? No. Before he could over analyze the situation anymore he rang the doorbell.

Sam had just been cleaning up after dinner when the doorbell rang. Her friend Theresa had said she might drop by with some new recipes she'd found so Sam hadn't bother to check to see who it was before opening the door. Seeing Lincoln her heart clutched in her chest as it dared to hope.

When she answered the door all air left Lincoln's body. He'd missed her. Had it really only been four days? It felt like much longer. It took him a moment to register she'd said his name. "Hello Sam. Can I…can I come in?" She took a moment then stepped back to let him in. "Thank you." He said as he moved inside.

He heard the door close behind him and he turned. She stared at him for a moment and then turned to walk into the kitchen. Following after her, he paused in the doorway watching her as she finished up. It wasn't until she put the last dish away that she turned to face him wrapping her arms around her waist, but she still didn't say anything. She was waiting on him and he guessed he couldn't blame her after the way he'd left. Taking a deep breath, "Vee is…was…" He closed his eyes and swallowed. "What did Sara tell you?"

"It doesn't matter." Sam said with determination.

He was going to argue but looking at her he knew she was right. He needed to decide if he wanted them to have a future and if he did HE needed to tell her about Veronica. After a few more long moments, "Veronica and I grew up together and started dating in high school." He paused and caught Sam's eye. "I fell head over heels for her."

Sam said nothing but the look she gave him was encouraging so he continued, "She went away to college and some things happened…I did some things." He sighed. "We fell apart and went our separate ways." Leaning his head back against the door jam, he closed his eyes and ran his hands over his shorn head. "When Michael got himself thrown into prison with me, he got her to look into my case and we…reconnected. My feelings for her had never changed."

She was happy he was sharing with her but she could see the tension coursing through him in the telling. His eyes remained closed and his hands were now clenched at his sides. "She was trying to help us. Help me. And it got her killed." He paused again and she almost thought he'd finished then he said, "I was on the phone with her when it happened. When they shot her." Sam couldn't help it, she gasped.

Hearing her, he opened his eyes and they connected with hers. Moving toward him she stood only inches away looking up at him. She was almost afraid to touch him she could still feel the tension, the pain radiating off him, but she needed to. Placing a comforting hand on his arm and he didn't flinch away, "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for sharing her with me."

"I don't…"

"I won't ask you to talk about it again if you don't want to." She saw some of the tension leave him. "Would you like some dinner?" she asked. He nodded so she went to go fix him a plate.

~

Sara arrived home at seven twenty and found Michael, still in his full suit and tie, cleaning the living room. "Michael what are you doing?" He straightened and gave her a look that said 'you know what I'm doing'. Sara shook her head and set her purse down before crossing the room. Standing in front of him, she pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders and through it on the couch. Then she reached for his tie.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She removed his tie and threw it with his jacket. Then reached up and unbuttoned the fist two buttons of his dress shirt. "This is dinner, not a business meeting." Patting down his collar she stepped back to have a look. "Better." She said. "Just needs one more thing." And before he could open his mouth, she pulled his lips to hers and gave him a slow heated kiss. When she pulled back, both were breathing harder and color had returned to his cheeks. "Definitely better." She purred.

He didn't have a chance to respond as the doorbell rang announcing their evening visitors. Michael grabbed his jacket and tie and disappeared into the bedroom while Sara got the door.

Sara was greeted by four rather weary faces. Moving back from the door she invited in her guests. "You must be Jessica's parents. I'm Sara. It's good to finally meet you."

Jessica's dad put his hand in the one Sara extended. "I'm Tom and this is my wife Megan." He paused for a moment. "Your Sara Tancredi?"

"Yes." Just then Michael walked back into the room and almost silently walked up beside her placing one hand protectively on her back.

Before Michael could introduce himself, "You must be Michael Scofield." Tom said without emotion.

"Yes." Michael said.

Sara watched as Michael extended his hand to the gentleman and Tom reluctantly took it. Even without looking at Michael's face she knew what she would see. All but his eyes would present an emotionless face. She however, could feel the tension in his fingers as they pressed against her and she leaned into them a little to offer him some comfort.

They all moved to the couch as Sara went to order their normal Chinese for dinner. It had become sort of a tradition. Ordering double their regular order, she asked to have it delivered so none of them would have to go out and pick anything up.

The food arrived twenty minutes later, which was a welcome relief since conversation had been strained to say the least. Sara and Jessica had set the table. They all gathered round and began to dig in. Sara was surprised to hear Michael be the first to speak up. "So how'd your exam go today?"

Jessica looked up from her plate of noodles. "Really good. There was only one question I wasn't sure of so I'm hoping for an A." she smiled.

"What was it? The one you didn't know." He asked.

"It was a word problem of course." She smiled sheepishly. "I knew we'd gone over a similar one but my mind just went blank for some reason. I was hoping to ace it with all the studying we've been doing but…"

"An A will be a fine accomplishment Jessica. You should be proud of yourself."  
"I didn't expect less." He smiled back.

Her parents had been watching this exchange between their daughter and the infamous fugitive. From the smile her daughter returned to the man in question it was clear she was glad she'd made him proud. Jessica noticed her parents had been watching the exchange. "Normally when we come over on Wednesday nights Michael helps us study before Sara gets home. He's amazing at explaining complex things."

"You help them study?" Jessica's mom asked.

Michael concentrated on his plate before finally answering. "Yes."

Her mom didn't comment but her face showed she was trying to connect this information with the picture she had in her head of this family. Finally she turned her attention to Sara. "You're a doctor right? Do you have a practice here in Chicago?"

"No. I work at Chicago Memorial."

"Really? How long have you been there?"

"Two years." For a second Sara thought about skirting the issue but decided against it. Trying to avoid the elephant sitting in the room wasn't going to help anyone. "I've worked there since shortly after we came back to Chicago."

The woman visible paled. Nothing was said for the longest time until her dad spoke and apparently her comment had opened the door of discussion wide open. Tom asked Michael what kind of job he had now that he was out. Michael explained he was working again as a structural engineer.

The remaining dinner followed this same course. Tom or Megan would ask a question and one of the four would answer. It wasn't clear to Sara when they finally left if the evening had been a success or a disaster. They seemed to like the fact she was a doctor and working for a reputable hospital but they seemed less sure about Michael. Most of his answers led to more questions since they didn't seem to be satisfied with the answers he was providing.

Sara stood in the bathroom brushing her teeth for bed. She was exhausted yet again. There had been so much going on lately in her life it seemed to be draining all of her energy. When she came out of the bathroom she stopped in her tracks. Michael was sitting on the bed staring off into space and she felt her pulse quicken.

She walked over and stood in front of him and his eyes came back into focus as he looked up at her. She expelled a sigh of relief. When she saw the question in his eyes, "Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yea. I was…I was just thinking." He reached out his hand and squeezed hers comfortingly. "Are you done?"

It took her a moment to realize he was asking if she was done in the bathroom. "Yea. I'm done." He stood, walked into the adjoining room, and closed the door. Sara stood for a minute. The look in his eyes had reminded her of the time in Ad Seg and it worried her. Had tonight's questioning bothered him that much? Glancing over her shoulder she looked at the closed door. Maybe she'd been imagining things. Walking over to her side of the bed, she slipped under the covers to wait for Michael.

~

The four arrived back at Jessica's dorm around nine thirty and Jessica's parents reluctantly said their goodbyes. They hadn't been thrilled LJ wasn't leaving at the same time they were but in the end they didn't have much choice after Jessica had kissed each on their cheeks and said goodnight. The young couple stood in the parking lot and watched the taillights as they moved down the deserted street.

Once the lights disappeared, "Let's walk."

"Now?" LJ asked.

"Yea." She smiled up at him.

LJ couldn't help but smiled back. "Sure."

Hand in hand they walked around the campus. Almost the same route they'd taken earlier with her parents. They crossed over the concourse, past the new admissions hall and made their way down to the gym and football field. As soon as they past behind one of the concession stands, Jessica stopped walking. "Jess?" he asked as he turned back towards her. When she didn't answer he stepped closer trying to see her face more clearly in the darkness.

Once he got close enough however, Jessica's lips found his and before he knew it he was pressed up against the block building. Her arms were around his neck and her body was pressed solidly against his. She felt so good and her light sundress didn't hide her curves from him. No one was around so he took advantage of their seclusion and allowed his hands to roam up her back, under her sweater to caress the bear skin underneath and then slid his hands down to her hips. He pulled her closer, pressing her into him.

Finally she broke the kiss that had both their chests heaving. She didn't go far, instead placing small kisses to his neck before resting her head on his shoulder. "Not that I'm complaining." He said once he could speak again. "but what was that for?"

Hearing her laugh he felt her breath warm on his neck. "I love you LJ."

His hands slid up her back and he hugged her to him. "I love you too Jess."

Neither moved until he felt her shiver. The temperature was dropping and the sweater she was wearing wasn't providing enough warmth. "Let's go back." He felt her shake her head. "Jess your cold. I don't want you to get sick."

"If we go back, you'll go home and I'm not ready for that yet."

LJ sighed. He wasn't really ready to leave her either, even though he knew he'd see her tomorrow morning. They had an exam together at ten. "Neither am I. But we need to go back." He pushed against the wall and she didn't resist. Keeping his arm around her, they detoured though the center of campus and headed back to her dorm.


	58. Chapter 58

Lincoln rolled over to see Sam sleeping soundly on the pillow next to him. It was early, about five am. He needed to go home before work to shower and change, but not before he said good morning. With her back turned towards him, he moved over and slipped his arm around her waist pressing his body against hers.

Placing a kiss just below her ear he felt her stir a little. Pulling her closer, he placed another kiss to her shoulder. She moved again, this time with a little more distinction. "Good morning." He smiled against her skin.

She yawned and rolled over. Looking up at him, "What time is it?" she said sleepily.

"Five." Placing his hand to cup her face he bent down to give her a quick kiss. "Didn't want to leave without waking you."

Sam reached her arms up and wrapped them around Lincoln's neck. "When do you have to be at work?"

"Seven thirty."

"Hmmm." She said from deep within her throat. "So you have a little time."

Lincoln chuckled. "A little. But I need to stop at home and change first."

"Uh hun." She said as pulled his lips to hers for a slow sentential kiss. Shifting her body she brushed up against him. And he let out a low moan.

"I have some time." He said against her lips as he brought their bodies together again.

~

Michael had woken her up hours ago to say goodbye before he'd left for work and she'd fallen back to sleep. It was now just after eight and as she swung her legs onto the floor her belly did a little flip. Nothing major, but definitely enough to get her attention. Sara moved slowly to the bathroom and as she began to move it seemed to lessen.

By the time she made it to the kitchen to get some breakfast it had disappeared. At least until she'd opened the refrigerator and looked at food, then it began to come back again. Maybe she was coming down with something. She had been working quite a lot lately at the hospital and getting things ready for the wedding. Deciding caution was best, she fixed herself a dry piece of toast and drank some water.

Sara didn't have much planned today and since she wasn't feeling her best, she decided maybe just vegging would be a good idea. So after finishing her toast, she changed into some comfortable clothes, grabbed a blanket and made herself comfortable on the couch with the remote.

~

When LJ walked into the room for his English final, Jessica was waiting. She gave him a warm smile, which he returned. He wanted to kiss her but knew he couldn't. Not yet. Walking over, he took a seat beside her and had just enough time to get his pencils out in front of him before the professor closed the door and started the exam.

Jessica finished about five minutes before LJ so she was waiting out in the hall when he exited the classroom. He leaned in to give her a kiss. "How'd it go?" she asked as they joined hands and began walking.

"Good I think. You?"

"The same. Do you want to get some lunch?"

"No parents today?" he asked as they stepped out of the building and began heading toward the cafeteria.

Jessica shook her head. "They're sight seeing this morning since I had an exam. I told them I didn't know when I'd be finished so we're meeting up at two and I'm taking them to see some of the shops. Did you want to come?"

"Do you want me to come along?"

Jessica stopped to face him. "You know I do." She said softly.

With his free hand, LJ brushed his fingers along her cheek and smiled. "So we have until two o'clock?"

"Yea." She smiled back.

Getting them moving again, LJ and Jessica headed for the cafeteria. They decided to get sandwiches, chips and drinks to go. Finding a large Oak tree, they sat down against it and ate their lunch. As they were finishing up LJ reached for Jessica's hand and got her attention. "I talked to Uncle Mike about you coming to the wedding."

She looked almost apologetic. "I don't know if…"

"He said he'd buy your ticket to come back. They want you to be there."

The smiled she gave him lit her entire face. "Oh LJ that's great." But then she sobered. "I can't ask them to do that though."

"You didn't ask Jess and actually neither did I. Apparently they were talking about you not being there and decided they wanted to do this."

Her smile had returned. "I so hope my parents come to their senses and realize what a great family you have LJ."

Smiling back, he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips. When he tried to pull back she held him in place and looked into his eyes for a moment before closing hers once more and finding his lips again. The kiss was tender but full of emotion and love. When they finally broke apart, LJ slid his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head on his chest. It already felt like they were saying goodbye.

~

Michael came home to find Sara, snuggled under a blanket, asleep on the couch. She was facing him, her face relax in a contented sleep. He slipped his jacket and tie off throwing them down on the chair before making his way over to her.

Kneeling down, he brushed the long locks away from her face and just took a minute to enjoy the view. He never tired of watching Sara sleep. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. The fact that she loved him made his heart skip a beat every time he thought of it.

He knew he'd scared her last night when she'd found him sitting on the bed. Dinner had been strained and he'd been analyzing it in his mind, going over every detail, every vocal change. There'd been no danger last night of him falling into one of his LLI induced detachments but he could understand the picture he'd presented could very well have portrayed that image to an outside observer.

Sara's eyes fluttered open and there was Michael. "Hi."

"Hi." He smiled. "Were you tired?"

"Mmmm." She stretched. "I guess my body is still trying to recover from those extra shifts." He moved back as she sat up. "What time is it?"

"Almost six. I thought we could grab a bite to eat across the street before we leave."

Sara stood. "Give me a minute to change."

Disappearing into the bathroom, Michael took the opportunity to hang up his jacket and tie in the closet.

After Sara changed, they made their way over to the dinner just across the street from their apartment. It was a family owned place and everyone was friendly. Finishing their meals they headed out of town for hopefully their final meeting with Ron Keller.

An hour later they pulled into the parking lot of the church and made their way inside. Ron greeted the couple and they took their seats. The evening's topic was to be marital responsibilities and children. The subject was a little awkward at first but it was quickly obvious that Ron was making no judgments. Every couple is different he said. The important thing is that both of you are on the same page and expect the same things.

Sara had to admit he'd brought up some things they hadn't discussed like childcare and if one of the two of them would be staying home or adjusting their work schedules to accommodate children. Some of the questions, they hadn't had answers for but in the end Ron had given them some things to think about.

As they were saying their goodbyes, Ron asked them when they'd be arriving at the bed and breakfast. Michael told him they'd be arriving sometime that afternoon to get settled. The rehearsal was scheduled for six Friday evening and then Carol was going to be making dinner for everyone. Ron informed them he'd stop by at four to go over to preliminaries before the rehearsal. After a final goodbye the couple got into their car and made their way home.


	59. Chapter 59

**Author's Note:**

**Well I'm assuming everyone watched the last episode last night. All I have to say is...I like my ending better. :) **

Saturday morning Michael sat at the kitchen table eating his cereal and reading the paper. When he glanced across at Sara, he noticed her breakfast consisted of dry toast and water. The same thing she'd eaten yesterday. "Every thing alright?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine." She said giving him a little smile. When he gave her a skeptical look she added, "My stomach's just bothering me a little, but it's nothing. I think I might be fighting a bug or something."

Michael just nodded and let it go. She'd been tired lately so maybe she was coming down with something.

That afternoon both Lincoln and LJ buzzed around their house cleaning like mad men. Jessica's parents were coming over to join them for family night and everything needed to be perfect. Well as perfect as an evening at the Burrow's could be. So far the feedback from Jessica's parents to Jessica had been…well…vague. It didn't appear they'd found any major objections to Jessica's life here as of yet, but it wasn't like they were jumping for joy either.

Tonight would be the first time Lincoln was to meet them and it may sound silly but he almost felt like he was the teenage boy and he was meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time. He wanted this to go well for his son. Jessica made LJ happy and he knew his son loved her. Her not being able to come back in the fall would break his son's heart and he was going to do what he could to see that didn't happen. LJ had had way too much heartache in his short life already.

At five, Sara and Michael arrived early by request. Lincoln new if he'd missed anything in his preparation his detail obsessed brother would be able to find it. It was almost amusing to watch as Michael stood in each room and went over it piece by piece. The things he'd found were minor; a little dust missed on a table, a picture not quite level. Minor but Lincoln was grateful all the same.

Just before six, Lincoln left to get Sam so he'd be back when Jessica and her parents arrived at six-thirty. Left to wait, Sara pulled the two men into the kitchen to see what types of snacks maybe hidden to compliment the pizza. LJ took the chips they'd found out to the table leaving Sara and Michael alone.

Michael had been watching Sara since she'd told him this morning she wasn't feeling well. At the moment she appeared to be feeling fine although she still showed some signs of being tired.

Sara noticed Michael had a deep look of concentration on his face. "You ok Michael?"

His head snapped up to meet her eyes. "Yea."

"You sure? You look a little distracted? Your not worried about tonight are you?"

Michael didn't want her knowing he was worrying about her so he just addressed what she was asking and told the truth. "A little. But I'm ok Sara. You don't have to worry about me." He said as he walked over and put his arms around her waist.

"I worry about you all the time Scofield. It's part of the job." She smiled.

"Is it now?" He asked with a smile of his own.

Sliding her hands up his arms she gently rested them on the back of his neck. "It is." She said as she pulled him in for a kiss.

LJ re-entered the kitchen to find Michael and Sara kissing. He tried to cough discreetly to get their attention. The couple reluctantly broke their kiss. "Sorry guys but dad and Sam are here." LJ said and then turned and left the kitchen.

"I guess that's our queue huh." Sara said. Michael reached down to lace his fingers through hers as they made their way back out into the living room.

Tom Rice pulled his car in front of a decent sized ranch house with white siding. "This is it?" he asked.

"Yes dad." Jessica said.

Tom wasn't quite sure what he'd been expecting but this wasn't it. This family kept surprising him and he wasn't sure he liked it. First their dinner on Wednesday night had seemed…for lack of a better word, normal. Too normal. It didn't fit with anything he'd read in the papers about this family. He knew the one brother, LJ's father Lincoln Burrows, had been falsely accused of murder but he also knew that the man had had a checkered past to say the least before that.

Michael on the other hand had led a near perfect life before going to prison, according to what he'd read, but had robbed a bank at gun point supposedly to get thrown into prison with his brother so he could break him out. That didn't sound logical to him. Who did something like that?

And then there was Dr. Sara Tancredi. The former governor's daughter who, again according to the papers, in all likely hood helped with the escape of eight maximum-security fugitives. Somehow she'd managed to not only avoid being convicted but had also managed to keep her doctors license.

Now looking at this house. This perfectly normal house, Tom was presented with yet another piece of the puzzle that just didn't add up. Was he missing something or had he just been wrong?

Megan and Jessica had already gotten out of the car and appeared to be waiting for him. Slowly he got out and joined his family. Here goes nothing he thought.

Before they could knock LJ answered the door and Jessica went immediately into her boyfriend's arms. Tom wasn't quite sure how he felt about LJ yet. From what he observed, the boy clearly cared about his daughter but this was his little girl. He knew some of what he was feeling was general parental protectiveness at seeing his daughter with a boy she so clearly cared deeply about in return. But there was another part of him that kept saying he had honest reasons for being protective of his little girl around this family.

They came inside. Jessica introduced them to Lincoln, LJ's father, whom it was easy for Tom to picture in the right setting as a thug. But the surprises just kept coming; the woman standing beside Lincoln was apparently the man's girlfriend. She was completely opposite to the brash man standing beside her and into the evening he'd asked her how long she'd known Lincoln and had been surprised when she'd answered two and a half months with a huge smile on her face.

Jessica had told them ahead of time that dinner tonight would be pizza but he was surprised when eight boxes showed up shortly after their arrival. What surprised him more was the fact that only two pieces remained when it was all said and done. After dinner they played scrabble. Michael and Sam, Lincoln's girlfriend, dominated the game.

Sitting around a kitchen table playing scrabble again felt so normal to him. Which DIDN'T seem normal. He and Megan had promised Jessica they'd give this family a chance and he wanted to, for her, really he did but… And there in lay the problem. What was his but? LJ seemed to live in a nice home with his father, whom he appeared to have a good relationship with. Michael and Sara, who had apparently taken an active interest in his daughter's education, lived in a nice apartment together and we getting married in a month. The enigma to him was Sam.

Sam was the outsider of the group. She currently sat next to Lincoln. Her laugh was open and honest. Clearly she was relaxed. Again the question nagged at him…was he wrong?

Tom turned his attention back to his daughter. Shoulder to shoulder, she and LJ sat sharing their tiles. The hands closest to each other were not visible above the table and it was obvious they were intertwined below. LJ whispered something in her ear and she giggled. He'd never seen his daughter happier.

Was he wrong?

LJ walked Jessica and her family out to their car to say goodnight. Aware of her parents' presence he said his goodnights to them and then pulled Jessica in for a quick hug. "Good night." He whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered back.

He began to pull back, but she held on. Finding his mouth she placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said stepping back and getting into the car.

LJ stood on the curb and watched as they drove away.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Ok folks...only 5 more chapters to go, lets here your thoughts. :)**


	60. Chapter 60

Tuesday morning came and it was time to say goodbye. The Rice's hadn't given their daughter any indication of their decision and she was too afraid to ask them. She'd broken down and told them Sunday night that Michael had gotten her a ticket to fly back for the wedding. The look on their faces had been unreadable. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Just after ten in the morning, she stood in the parking lot just outside her dorm. Last night LJ had taken her to say goodbye to his family, so this morning it was only LJ. Her dad finished putting the last bag into the trunk and looked at her for a minute before moving to get into the car. Her mom followed.

Jessica turned back to LJ, her eyes full of tears. Reaching out, LJ brushed the fallen tears from her cheeks. "Hey." He tried to smile. "No tears. We'll see each other again next month."

Giving her best effort she tried to smile. "I know."

They embraced. "I wish your parent's weren't watching. I'd kiss you goodbye properly." He whispered in her ear.

She pulled back a little to see his face, her mouth only centimeters from his. "Kiss me properly." She whispered back.

He searched her eyes for only a second before his lips closed the distance. Taking his time, his tongue swept across her lower lip before she opened to him. Arms drawing her closer their tongues mingled for several minutes before LJ withdrew a little and placed several soft kisses on her lips and cheek while they both caught their breath. "Call me." He said softly.

"Every day." She assured him.

With one last embrace, he reluctantly let her go. She paused briefly before getting into the car to look back at him and then she was gone.

~

Two weeks later – June 8th

Michael sat at his desk going over a new set up blue prints he'd just received. They were from an architect they'd never worked with before and some of his ideas were well…for lack of a better term…interesting. At first glace, Michael had known there would need to be some changes. Some of what the man was wanting just wouldn't work.

The problem was…Michael's mind wasn't on the plans in front of him. They were on Sara. Something was wrong with her. He just couldn't figure out what. Although seemily happy and fairly upbeat, she always seemed to be pushing herself. She was tired. And whenever he would ask her about it, she'd always tell him she was fine. Just so much to do she'd tell him. He didn't understand it. There was a lot to do of course, but he helped her as much as he could and he knew Mary, Katie, Vicki and even Sam had been helping.

She'd went for her final dress fitting this past Saturday so that was one less stress gone. Everything appeared to be in order and flowing rather smoothly. Her shifts at the hospital were back to normal. They no longer had to make the trek to see Ron Keller every other week. What was he missing?

And then there were her eating habits. Some mornings she was ok, but most of the time she either didn't eat anything saying she'd just get something at work or she'd eat dry toast and water. There was no way she'd been fighting a bug for the past two weeks. If it had lasted this long it would have come to a head by now and completely knocked her down for the count. So instead of doing his job, he was contemplating what was the matter with his fiancé.

"Hey." Matt startled him out of his deliberation.

"Oh Hi." Michael said looking up at his friend.

"Those blue prints must be something." He smiled.

"What?" Michael questioned and then he understood. "Oh yea. They are interesting. I think his imagination got away with him."

Matt laughed. "That bad huh." Michael just smiled. "I won't keep you from your fun project, but Vicki just called. I guess she tried to get a hold of Sara but the line was busy and she had to head out. She wanted to remind Sara about her doctor's appointment tomorrow morning so not to pick her up until eleven. She's sure she'll be back by then." Matt just shook his head and smiled. "Would you pass along the message?" He was so clearly overjoyed with the prospect of becoming a father.

"Sure" Michael smiled back. "I'll remind her."

"Thanks." Smile still firmly in place Matt made his way back over to his desk.

Michael tried to turn his attention back to the "creative drawings" staring him in the face. He was looking at the northwest corner of the second floor. His eyes lingered on a small space designated for the women's bathroom. There was an alcove there dedicated to provide a baby changing area. Suddenly Michael stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor, and grabbed his jacket.

"Michael?" Matt's voice came from only a few yards away although it sounded much farther. "Everything ok?"

Sparing a brief glance at his friend he managed to nod before making his way out of the room, the building and out onto the street.

~

He thought about the last few hours. After leaving work so abruptly he'd walked aimlessly around the streets for about an hour before the thought occurred to him that he should call his boss. All he'd told John was that something had come up and he needed to take the day off. It'd taken a little work to convince John that everything was ok, but finally he managed to accomplish it.

Eventually, he'd gotten in a cab and gone to the cemetery to sit by his mother's grave. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he needed some time to himself and it seemed like a good place at the time. Finding a bench nearby, he'd ran through everything in his mind over and over again and he kept coming to the same conclusion. Sara was pregnant.

But then the question became, why hadn't she told him. He knew this wasn't something they'd planed, well at least not yet but… And that's where he kept running into a wall. Was she afraid to tell him? But that didn't make sense to him either. Sara had never been afraid of him. Angry, unsure yes but never afraid at least he'd never gotten that impression. No. He was sure she wasn't afraid of him. But what then?

Finally he'd given up and decided to head home. Since pregnancy wasn't something he was particularly an expert at, he decided before he totally went insane he should do some research. Which is why he now found himself sitting in the living room in front of the computer. As he scrolled through the pages and pages on pregnancy and the first signs, he became more and more convinced of his initial conclusion, which brought him back to the exact same question. If Sara was pregnant, why wouldn't she tell him?

Hearing a key in the door, he clicked out of his current search engine and closed everything down. Sara came through the door, smiling as soon as she saw him. He smiled back but didn't move. Instead he looked at her trying to find any physical hint of what he was now almost positive about. Of course he knew there would be no physical signs at this point, but for some reason he couldn't stop himself.

Sara noticed his stillness and walked across the room to where he was sitting at the desk. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she bent down to press her lips against his. His hands came up to bracket her hips and he opened his legs to pull her closer. She let her mouth linger before pulling back a little to see his face. "Everything ok?" she asked.

"Of course." Michael smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes. Seeing she was about to question him, "How are you feeling?"

Dropping her hands, she stepped out of his embrace. "Not bad. Hungry though."

Usually he had dinner ready by the time she got home but he'd been so absorbed in his research he hadn't gotten around to that. "Me too. What are you in the mood for?"

She thought about it for a second, "Mexican I think."

Michael stood and went into the kitchen. Going through the stack of menus they'd acquired, he found the one for their favorite Mexican restaurant. "Your usual?" he asked.

"Yes please." Sara said as she walked into the kitchen herself. Continuing to stand in the doorway, she watched him order their food. Something was bothering him, she could tell but she had no idea what. The difference in his behavior was subtle but it was there.

Michael hung up the phone and headed towards her. "Looks like I've got to go pick it up tonight or we'll be waiting until almost nine to eat." He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her open lips. "I'll be back." He said and then he was gone.

Sara stood motionless as she watched him leave. What was going on with him?

~

It was almost midnight as Michael lay in bed and listened to her sleep. Her head rested on his bare chest and he could feel each breath she took. After dinner, they'd talked a little but he'd been reluctant to bring up the one question that was at the forefront of his mind. Instead, he'd let her talk about her day and a patient named Mr. Johnson who'd taken quite a shine to her.

When they'd crawled into bed that night, she reached for him but he'd held back, and he never held back. He could see the question in her eyes but she didn't voice it. Instead he drew her into his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder. He knew she hadn't fallen asleep right away. She was waiting for him to talk.

Instead of talking, however, he gently ran his hand along her curves. His touch was comforting, not arousing. It was after eleven before she finally drifted off to sleep. Once he heard her breathing become slow and deep with sleep he found his caresses becoming more searching, as if looking for some physical sign again to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was right. And although he hadn't found it in her physical features, he had ultimately found what he'd been searching for.

He realized her menstrual cycles were the key and had searched his mind for her last one. It hadn't been hard really. Although they didn't make love every night, it was pretty close. The only exception to that was during her time of the month. Now that he was thinking clearly, he was sure. It had been fifty-three days since her last period and Sara was like clock work.

She was pregnant.

He was still boggled by why she hadn't told him but the next question was; how did he feel about that. He glanced down at the sleeping woman on his chest and ran his fingers through her hair. The thought of being a father scared him on some level. Ok, on many levels. What if he got it wrong? What if he wasn't any good at it?

But…the love he had for Sara flowed through every cell in his body and the thought of having a miniature version of her running around…it thrilled him to the very core of his being. Brushing his lips across her hair, he made a promise to himself. He would be the best father he could be. No matter what, he would love the child he and Sara had created with everything he had.

Sara stirred in her sleep and pulled herself up with dreary eyes. "Your still awake?"

Michael smiled down with all the happiness he now felt. Bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, he leaned in and reverently kissed her soft lips. When Sara's eyes opened again, they were questioning again. "I love you." He whispered against her now moist lips.

After another moment, she closed the distance separating them and brought their lips together once more. This time around Michael didn't hold back. He was no longer searching for some elusive answer. He knew what was in his heart and all he wanted to do at that moment was show this beautiful woman how much he loved her.


	61. Chapter 61

The two weeks before the wedding flew. In fact, Sara was looking back at them now and wondering where the time had went. The only problem was, she was beginning to encounter some nerves.

Her nerves weren't exactly due to the impending wedding, but rather because of her fiancé. To be more specific, her fiancé's moodiness. Over the same two weeks, he'd been acting well…the only word she could think of was weird. Sometimes he was distant and other times he well…wasn't. Every time she'd asked him if he was ok, he'd assure her he was fine. She knew he was keeping something from her, she just didn't know what.

It was Wednesday, her normal day off, and she'd just gotten back from dropping her dress off at Lincoln's. It wasn't an ideal place, she knew, but she didn't really have a choice. Not wanting Michael to see it ahead of time she'd needed some place to stash it. Originally she'd been planning on leaving it at Mary's, but her friend had had to make an unexpected move last week and was still trying to settle into her new apartment. So Lincoln's it was. When she'd called her soon to be brother-in-law this morning, he'd been more than amused but thankfully willing.

Michael wasn't due home from work until after five so the rest of her day was to going to be dedicated to packing what she could for their two weeks away. He was working only until noon on Friday and she'd taken the entire day off. Once he got home they were driving to the bed and breakfast. The plan was to stay there through the weekend. Monday, they were driving back into the city so that Michael could have his final meeting with his parole officer before they got on a plane.

Digging out the pieces luggage from the back of the closet, she set each one on the bed. Between the two of them, they had more than enough suitcases so Sara picked the ones she thought would work best and put the others away. Sara began with her clothes since that would be easiest. The temperature should be warm, but the nights might be cool if they wanted to go for a walk on the beach so she retrieved a light hooded jacket and tucked it inside.

She moved through her closet and her drawers and selected items she thought she would need for their week and a half away. By three, she'd managed to fill her suitcase. Zipping it closed she picked it up and put it off to the side and started on Michael suitcase. This was a little more difficult of a process but she figured she'd give it a shot. The only thing that could happen would be he'd insist on repacking it himself she though.

At five twenty, Michael made his way though the door. "I'm in here." Sara called from the bedroom.

Laying his keys down he made his way towards her voice. But when he came in the bedroom, he stopped short. Three suitcases lay open on the bed and two were on the floor nearer the door. The two on the floor appeared to be full while the ones on the bed were at varying levels. She smiled up at him as he watched her zip the fullest suitcase closed and proceed to lift it from the bed. "What are you doing?!" he shouted.

Sara jumped. Michael never talked to her like that. But before she could respond he was beside her taking the suitcase off the bed himself and placing it against the wall with the others. He was still facing away from her and she could see the muscles in his shoulders tense. She waited for him to move, respond, something but he just stood there. Just as she was about to say something he turned and walked back to stand a foot in front of her. She could still see the tension clearly in his face but there was something else as well she couldn't quite place. "I'm sorry." He finally said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you but…" He sighed. "Please, next time you need to move something heavy could you let me do it?"

Michael's voice was controlled and even like it was taking a lot of concentration for him to keep from yelling again. What was going on?! She searched his face but still couldn't find the answers she was seeking and she knew from the many times she'd asked him before that he wouldn't tell her even if she asked. Taking a deep breath, "Ok."

"Thank you." He whispered, letting out a breath he'd been holding. Cupping her face in his hands, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Pulling back he searched her face as if HE were searching for something. After a minute it seemed he didn't find what he was looking for and dropped his hands. "I'll go pick up dinner." He said and headed for the door.

Watching as his form retreated, she sat down on the edge of the bed. What just happened? What was she missing? Michael had never raised his voice to her like that. It was almost like she'd…scared him. But why? How? By lifting a slightly heavy suitcase? That didn't make any sense.

~

As soon as Michael closed the apartment door behind him, he leaned back against it and closed his eyes his hands balling into fists. Bringing his hands up to rub against his shorn head, he heard his harsh words again and mentally berated himself. He'd been trying to convince himself over the last two weeks that the fact Sara was keeping this from him wasn't a big deal. That she would tell him when she was ready, but he was fooling himself. It did matter. The pain in his chest was growing every day. But that didn't excuse what he'd just done. To yell at her like that was inexcusable but when he'd seen what she was doing…

Michael's head thumped back against the closed door when he remembered feeling his heart dropped to his stomach as he'd seen her try to lift the suitcase. He knew he'd overreacted but he couldn't help it. Why…?

Hearing movement behind the door, he quickly pushed himself away and walked swiftly down the hall to the elevator. Lincoln, LJ, and Sam would be here in a half hour. He had that much time to try and pull himself together. As the doors opened in front of him, he stepped inside and pushed the button for the first floor.

~

Lincoln, LJ, and Sam arrived twenty minutes after Michael had disappeared out the front door. Sara was not in a good emotional state by the time they'd arrived and apparently Lincoln had taken notice. She wasn't feeling entirely sociable tonight and had taken the first reason she could find to excuse herself and went into the kitchen.

By the time she reached down to open the dishwasher, Lincoln was by her side. "You gonna tell me what's wrong?"

Sara only paused for a moment and then continued to unload and put away the clean dishes. "I don't know what your talking about Lincoln."

"Cut the bull Sara. Something's wrong." She was silent. Just as he was getting ready to jump in again he heard it. She was crying? "Sara?" She still didn't move. Reaching out, Lincoln turned her to face him.

"Oh Lincoln." She cried. And the next thing he knew, she had her arms wrapped around him and her face buried in his chest.

He was quite for as long as he could stand, "Sara will you please tell me what's wrong?"

It took a few minutes, but finally her crying started to ebb and he pulled back wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said, reaching for a towel.

He was just staring at her now, waiting for her to say something to make what had just happened make some sense. Finally she spoke but instead of answering his question, she asked one of her own. "Has Michael said anything to you?"

With a perplexed look he answered, "No. Why?"

Shaking her head, "I don't know. He's just been acting…strange."

Lincoln raised one eyebrow, "Strange?"

Sara sighed and turned away from him busying herself with the dishes again. "For the last two weeks he's been acting like something isn't quite right. Like something's bothering him. But he won't talk to me. Every time I ask him…he tells me he's fine, nothing's wrong." She turned to face him now. "He's not fine Lincoln. I know Michael well enough to know that." She paused again debating if she should mention what had happened less than an hour ago or not. In the end, she decided at this point she just needed someone else who knew and loved Michael to see if they could make heads or tails out of what was going on with him. "When he came home tonight I was packing for our trip. He came into the bedroom and…well he lost his temper when I lifted a suitcase off the bed." She paused to look up at Lincoln's face. "He's never talked to me that way before." She whispered. "Afterward he apologized, of course, but I could tell he was still upset." Shaking her head, "It doesn't make sense to me, does it to you? Why would he lose it over a suitcase?"

"I have no idea Sara."

She asked the question she didn't want to ask. "Do you think it's the wedding? That he doesn't want to get married anymore?"

Lincoln started shaking his head before she was even done with her question. "No. Michael wants to marry you more than anything Sara. I do know that much."

"So why?" she almost started crying again.

Lincoln pulled her back into his arms but before he could say anymore he heard the front door and knew that had to be Michael with the food. Giving her one last squeeze, he stepped back and looked into her face holding her by the shoulders. "You gonna be ok?"

She nodded. "Yea, yea. I'll be fine."

"Ok. I'll keep everyone out and give you a few minutes." She nodded again and he left her standing alone in the kitchen.

By the time Michael arrived back at the apartment their guests had already arrived. LJ and Sam were sitting on the couch talking about a new thriller that was due to come out next month LJ wanted to go see. He greeted them both and glanced around the room, "Where's Linc?"

Just as LJ was about to answer Lincoln walked into the room. "Michael." He acknowledged.

"Where's Sara?" He asked his brother, glancing towards the door Lincoln had just exited.

"She's putting some dishes away. Said she'd be out in a minute." Lincoln walked over and took one of the bags of food out of Michael's arms and walked over to the table. Michael stood for a moment debating if he should follow his brother or go to Sara. He decided to follow his brother. There was too much of an audience at the moment so he would wait until later when they were alone to talk to her. He needed to apologize again. He needed her to forgive him. Who was he kidding, there was only one thing he needed from Sara and for some reason she was unwilling to give that to him.

As Michael put the last of the food out on the table, he let a deep sigh escape his lips. "You ok man?" Linc asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

Michael and Lincoln had just finished setting every thing out on the table when Sara emerged from the kitchen. Lincoln could still see the evidence of her breakdown in the redness of her eyes and he was sure if his detail obsessed brother was paying even the slightest bit of attention he'd notice too. Sara had brought a stack of plates with her. Everyone grabbed a chair and dug in.

After his conversation with Sara, Lincoln had paid a little more attention than normal to his brother's responses and reactions. Sara was right. Something was off with Michael. It was subtle, Michael was pretty good at hiding things, but it was still there. He was keeping to himself more than usual, not contributing as much to the conversation and Lincoln didn't think he'd seen his brother crack a smile the entire evening.

And then there was the way his brother was looking at Sara. It was almost like he was in pain, which didn't make any sense. The other thing he noticed was it seemed like Michael was keeping track of every bite of food Sara put into her mouth, every drink she took.

By the end of the evening he was convinced that Sara had not been exaggerating. Something was wrong with this brother.

~

Once everyone left, Michael had encouraged Sara to leave everything and go relax. It was getting late and she had to work a full day tomorrow so she didn't argue. She'd headed into the bedroom leaving him putting the empty to go cartons in the trash. Cleaning up went fairly quickly but by the time he'd made his way into the bedroom, he found her curled up in bed asleep.

He stood watching her for a long while. They needed to talk. He'd seen the redness in her eyes tonight when he'd gotten home and he knew she'd been crying. He also knew, he was the one who had caused her tears. Knowing he was the cause of her distress tore him up even more.

This had to end. One way or another they had to face this. On his way back to the apartment he'd finally decided he couldn't remain silent anymore. Tomorrow night they would sit down and talk.


	62. Chapter 62

Author's Chapter Notes:

**This is an emotional chapter but so worth it. **

Sara finished with her morning rounds thirty minutes ago and was now working on updating patient files. With only three left to go, one of the staff nurses stopped by to tell her there was a couple at the desk asking for her. Eyeing the small stack of patient files she had to get through, she sighed, put her pen down, and pushed away from her small desk.

Rounding the corner a smile came to Sara's face as she saw Matt and Vicki were the ones who had summoned her. Vicki saw her first and returned a genuine smile of her own. Sara saw Vicki poke her husband in the ribs to get his attention, which only made her smile widen. "Hi." Sara said as she neared the couple.

"Hi Sara." Vicki said reaching out to hug her friend. As she stepped back, her face sobered. "I hope we didn't bother you." She said with a little concern in her voice.

"Not at all." Sara assured her and Vicki smiled again. "So what brings you two to the hospital today?" Looking down at Vicki's stomach, "Everything ok with the baby?"

"Oh yes." Vicki said excitedly. "Everything's great. Just a check up really and an ultrasound. Dr. Smith says everything looks great."

"That's good to hear." Sara couldn't help beaming back at the obvious joy of her friend.

"I know. I'm just so glad were over half way there. I mean I know the last three months are supposed to be a bit challenging with the baby growing so much but I can't imagine it'll be any harder than the first three." Vicki gave a little laugh. "I was so tired all the time. It never seemed like I could get enough sleep."

Matt had his arm wrapped around his wife now and gave her a little squeeze. "I'm just happy you can keep food down now. Those first three months had me a little worried with you always running to the bathroom every morning." Matt had been looking at his wife but as he said these last words he turned back to look at Sara and his smile faded. All color had left Sara's face. "Sara? Are you ok?"

Vicki's attention was now on Sara as well and she reached out to touch her friend's arm. "Sara?"

Sara had been listening with joy to her friend until she'd started to describe her first few months of pregnancy. The revelation hit her like a ton of bricks. Was she??? No. No. She couldn't…but… She couldn't think. And she needed to think. She needed… Suddenly she realized two sets of eyes staring at her with concern and registered they were asking her if she was ok. "Um…yea, yea. I'm fine." She paused. "I…uh…I just…I should get back."

"Oh. Ok." Vicki said. "Sara are you sure your…"

Sara didn't let her friend finish her sentence. "Yea. I'm fine." Sara attempted a smile. It was weak she knew, but it was the best she could do. Not waiting for any more questions, she turned and walked back toward her desk.

Ignoring the three folders waiting for her, she unlocked the drawer and grabbed her purse. Slinging it over her shoulder, she headed straight for the bathroom almost knocking a nurse down in the process. Sara thought she murmured 'sorry' to the girl but she really didn't know. Her mind was swimming and her breathing was erratic.

Reaching the staff bathroom she looked in the stalls to make sure no one else was there and then locked the door behind her. Moving to the counter, she opened her purse and dumped the contents desperately searching for her birth control pills. Finding them, she looked at the last refill date and sank to the floor. Her back against the tiles, head in her hand, she felt the tears begin to fall.

What was she going to do? How far along was she? What would she tell Michael? What would he think? There were so many questions flowing through her head. There was no doubt in her mind she was pregnant. The evidence was there. Had been there staring her in the face for the last…month, she realized. How in the world had she missed this?!

Sara was so caught up in her reverie she almost missed the knocking. She wanted to ignore it. She was going to ignore until she heard Mary on the other side. "Sara? Sara are you ok?"

Knowing she could trust Mary and desperately needing someone to trust at the moment, she moved to unlock the door for her friend.

When the door opened, Mary gasped at the sight of her friend and quickly moved inside to close and lock it again behind her. "Sara what???" But the look on Sara's face stopped her from finishing her question.

Trying to pull herself together, Sara took a deep breath. She needed Mary's help. Turning back to the counter, she began to load everything back in her purse. "I need you to do something for me."

"Sure." Mary said without hesitation. "Anything. You know that."

Sara just nodded. "I need." She wiped the tears from her face and eyes. "I need you to get an ultra sound machine and a room." Sara took a deep breath. "And I need you to see how far along I am."

Mary's jaw dropped and it took her a minute to compose herself but finally she did. "Give me ten minutes. I'll be right back."

Her friend left the room and Sara locked the door again behind her. Walking over to the sink, she turned it on and splashed the cold water onto her face. Looking up at herself in the mirror she saw the redness of her eyes from crying and glanced down at her stomach. Her hands came up and spread across her abdomen. She didn't know how long she stood like that but eventually there was another knock at the door.

"Sara, it's me."

Dropping her hands, Sara went to unlock the door again for her friend.

"Come on I got us a room."

Grabbing her purse, Sara followed Mary. They walked down the hall and into one of the freight elevators rarely used by staff. Mary pushed the button for the fifth floor and the doors closed. Neither said anything as the arrived at their floor. Again Sara followed Mary down the hall and into a small exam room. They both stepped inside and Mary closed the door behind them.

At first Sara just stood there unmoving and stared at both the bed and the machine sitting beside it. She felt Mary's hand on her arm and it brought her back to the present. Moving to the bed, Sara lay down pulling up her shirt and unbuttoning her pants. Her friend waited by the door until Sara was situated on the bed before approaching.

Neither said anything as Mary turned on the machine and reached for the jelly. She met Sara's eye briefly before squirting a generous amount onto Sara's bare stomach. The cold barely registered to Sara. She was still in shock. Closing her eyes, she waited for what would come next.

Sara felt the instrument pressing gently against her and then…then she heard it. A heartbeat. Her eyes flew open to glance first at her belly and then at the monitor. Mary noticed her movement and turned from the monitor to face her friend but Sara barely noticed. Eyes looking at the picture of the baby on the screen, she couldn't focus on anything else.

The more she looked, the more amazed she was, the more this little life became real. Her heart started beating faster and a warm glow began to spread through her body. A small smile played at her lips and fresh tears started to fall.

Mary had been watching her friend closely. She'd been holding her breath since she'd walked into the bathroom and seen the tragic look on her friend's face. As she watched the change come over Sara, Mary began to breath easier. "I'm not an OBGYN mind you but…I would say 2-3 months." She said in a soft voice.

Sara finally met her friend's gaze. "I'm gonna be a mom." She whispered.

Mary smiled back. "Yea."

They both sat and watch the monitor for a few more minutes before Sara rose and began cleaning the jelly from her stomach. "What am I going to tell Michael?"

It wasn't really a question, Mary knew. She gave a little chuckle, "Well I suppose your going to tell him he's going to be a father." Sara bit her lower lip and Mary began to be concerned again. "What's wrong Sara? Does Michael not want children?"

"He…" Sara paused. "No it's not that. I mean we talked about having kids but…well not now. We wanted to wait a few years." She sighed.

Mary wrapped her arms around Sara. "Everything will be fine Sara. You'll see."

Sara hugged her friend back. "Thank you Mary. You are such a good friend to me." Pulling back, "We should probably get back. Somebody's got to be looking for us."

"You sure your ok to go back?" Mary asked concerned again.

"Yes. Besides…" She bit her lower lip again. "I need the rest of the day to come of with what I'm going to say tonight."

Wrapping her arm around Sara for a quick squeeze they walked back toward the elevator and headed back to work.

~

Michael was just finishing up with some e-mail when his cell phone rang. The screen let him know it was his brother. "Hello Linc."

"Hey Michael."

Michael waited for his brother to say something else, to tell him why he was calling him at work but he was only met with silence. "Did you need something Linc?"

"Um. Yea. I was wondering…if maybe you could stop by the house tonight on your way home." Lincoln paused. "I kinda wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure." Michael said a little confused. "Everything ok with you and LJ?"

"Yea we're good." Lincoln said. And before Michael could ask anything else, "Well I'll let you get back. I'll…I'll see you tonight then."

"Ok…" Michael said as his brother disconnected.

Well that was interesting Michael thought. Lincoln said he and LJ were ok, so was it maybe Jessica or Sam? He hadn't really gotten a chance to ask. Looking down at the clock he saw he only had a little over an hour to go and more an enough work to keep him busy. Finishing with the e-mail he was on, he quickly moved to the next and pushed his brother's mysterious meeting tonight out of his mind.

~

Michael arrived at his brother's house just as the clock changed to read five-thirty. As he made his way up the short walkway, his mind began working overtime trying to come up with the reason Lincoln wanted to see him. They'd just seen each other last night, which added another piece to the puzzle. Why didn't Lincoln just talk to him last night? Or did something come up today and if so what?

His brother opened the door before Michael even got a chance to knock. "Hey Michael." Lincoln greeted him.

Michael noticed the nervous smile on his brother's face and it only increased his anxiety. Stepping inside, Michael didn't wait to sit down. "What's going on Linc?" His brother didn't answer; in fact his brother wasn't really looking at him at all. "Linc?" Lincoln still didn't answer. Instead he moved to sit down and glanced up at his brother motioning for him to follow. Reluctantly Michael did.

Michael was just about ready to jump out of his seat when his brother finally spoke. "Michael is everything ok? I mean are you doing ok…with your LLI I mean?"

"Yea. Why?" Michael asked taken off guard by the question.

Lincoln took a deep breath. "Look Michael. I was talking to Sara last night…before you came back with the food…and she's…concerned." Lincoln noticed a strange expression cross his brother face and hurried to continue. "Sara says you've been acting…well not like yourself for the past few weeks." Lincoln paused. Michael just continued to stare straight ahead. "Look I don't know what's going on Michael but… I love you man and if you need to talk to someone I'm here but…you need to talk to Sara, whatever it is."

Lincoln took a deep breath. Michael was still as a statue. He waited.

Finally Michael looked up and stared blankly at his brother. "You talked to Sara last night. In the kitchen." Lincoln just nodded. "What did she…what did she say?"

"She just said she's worried about you. That you've not been acting like yourself and you won't tell her why."

"She cried." Michael stated.

"Yes."

Michael just sat there for several minutes processing this new information. His head was swimming. He needed to focus. Then he shook his head. No. There was only one thing he needed. He needed to talk to Sara and as soon as possible. Looking down at his watch he had an hour until she was off work. Standing abruptly, Michael barely noticed his brother getting up to follow him to the door.

"Michael?" Lincoln asked wearily.

He looked up at his brother briefly but before he could respond the door opened from the outside and LJ came bursting in. "Hey Uncle Mike."

"Hey LJ." Michael said in a muted tone.

LJ didn't notice. He was already halfway down the hall. Jessica was flying in the following day, which was all he could think about.

Lincoln turned to watch his son practically fly down the hallway and by the time he turned back, his brother was already out the door. He stood for a moment and watched Michael get into his car and drive away.

~

Sara made her way up the elevator to the apartment. She'd managed to get through her day without too much trouble. Her emotions were jumbled to say the least. Every time she'd thought of seeing the baby, her baby, on the screen and hearing its heartbeat her own heart soared. But then she would think of the uncertainty she felt about telling Michael and her anxiety level would go through the roof.

As Sara walked in the door, she could smell the aroma of garlic, oregano, and basil. Italian. Quickly laying her purse on the table beside the door, she made her way through the living room and found Michael placing a bowl of salad on the table. He looked amazing. Still in his work clothes, he'd removed his jacket and tie and rolled his shirtsleeves up to his elbows revealing the intricate ink she loved to explore with her fingers…and her mouth. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him and then that same heart sank into her stomach. What was he going to say? How was he going to react?

Her mind had been trying to anticipate his reaction all day. Barely able to concentrate on her patients, she'd been grateful to Mary, who'd once again stood by her side and helped her. During her lunch break, she'd set up an appointment with an OB/GYN for tomorrow at one o'clock. It had taken some work but thankfully she'd gotten a sympathetic ear on the other end of the phone and was able to get in. She'd even agonized about the time of the appointment. They were squeezing her in and had given her the option of either coming in first thing in the morning at around 8:15 or right after lunch at 1:00.

If she went in the morning, Michael would be at work. She wouldn't even have to tell him tonight. She'd taken so long to decided the woman on the other end of the line asked if she was still there. In the end she'd decided to take the later appointment. She'd let him decide if he wanted to come with her or not.

Biting her lip, she took a step forward and he looked up to meet her gaze. There was something behind those knowing blue eyes of his as he gave her a small smile. She smiled back her own timid greeting. He closed the few feet separating them and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I hope your hungry." he said as he stepped back towards the table.

Moving to take her seat, "It smells wonderful."

The food was delicious and normally she'd have done a lot more damage to the homemade lasagna, garlic bread, and salad; but not tonight. She'd struggled to get what she did down. Normally they shared their day over dinner but tonight neither spoke other than the normal pleasantries. They could have been strangers on a first date, not a couple getting married in two days.

Sara couldn't stand it anymore; she took her finished plate into the kitchen and rinsed it in the sink. The chair in the other room scraped across the floor and footsteps approached her. Shutting her eyes, she bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. Now or never Sara, she said to herself. Turning to face him, "Michael..."

"Sara..." They said in unison.

A small nervous smile played on both their lips. "You first." Michael said.

Ok, she could do this. Taking another deep breath to steel herself, she looked down at her hands as they twisted together before she spoke and then raised her eyes through her lashes to look at him. "Michael...Michael I'm pregnant."

Michael let out a whoosh of air from his lungs and closed his eyes. "Thank you." he said softly.

His response took her off guard. What did he mean, 'thank you'. She waited to see if he would say anything more but his eyes remained closed. "Michael?" When his eyes opened, she realized they were different. The darkness that had been clouding them for the past weeks was no longer there. It made no sense to her. She was just getting ready to ask him to explain when he took a step and brought his arms around her, pulling into him.

"Thank you for finally telling me." he said, his voice deep with emotion.

She hugged him back, so gratefully that he didn't appear to be upset with the news of becoming a father. His comment didn't make sense to her; however, so she pulled back slightly to look in is eyes. "Michael what do you mean finally telling you. I just found out today."

His brow furrowed as he searched her face. "You just found out today?"

"Yes." she said honestly. "I made an appointment to go see an OB/GYN tomorrow." Michael tilted his head up and was now looking towards the ceiling. "Michael?"

"I'm sorry." he whispered as his eyes came back down to look into hers.

She brought her hand up to cup his face. "What are you sorry about?"

He shook his head as if trying to clear it. "I thought...I thought you knew weeks ago and just weren't telling me for some reason."

"Weeks ago?" she asked. Then it hit her. "Michael how long have you known?"

"Almost three weeks."

"Three weeks!" she choked. "Why didn't you..." Then she stopped and everything started to become clear; his moods, his vague questions that didn't make sense. "You thought I was keeping it from you? Why?"

He rested his forehead against hers. "I didn't know. That's why..." He paused. "I'm so sorry Sara."

They stood like that for a while staring into each other's eyes. It was an unspoken communication.

Sara was the first to move. The hand that had been resting on the side of his face moved to the base of his neck as she leaned in. She closed her eyes as her lips found his. It was a whisper of a kiss as her lips moved barely touching his. "I love you." she murmured, letting him know he was forgiven.

It was like Michael had been waiting for those words. His hands pulled her closer to him as his lips enforced more pressure against hers. She melted into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss was full of unsaid meaning. It was love, and passion; happiness and forgiveness.

His lips moved from her mouth to her neck and then to her ear. "You're going to be a mom." His soft words tickling her ear as he spoke.

Hands still cupping his neck as she held him close to her, "And you're going to be a dad." she smiled.

"I know." he whispered as his mouth made his way back to her lips.

This time there was a bit more urgency in his lips as they locked to hers. His hands pulled her tight and his left hand snaked up the back of her shirt to caress her bare back making small circles on her skin. Slowly he ended the kiss and brought his hand up to brush her hair away from her face. They stood silent for a long time; their eyes communicated more than their words could. Eventually they separated and cleaned up the dishes, never straying too far from the other. When the final dish was taken care of they quietly linked hands and made their way into the bedroom.

**End Notes:**

**Just an FYI to everyone who is reading this, I wrote this story a while ago. It was my first ever fan fic and I started writing/posting it on another site in May of 2008 and completed it in Feb 2009. I had no idea the writers of PB were going to make Sara pregnant nor how the show would end. I know I've said this before but I so like my ending better. ;)**

**So only 3 more chapters to go. If your reading this, leave me some love. :)**


	63. Chapter 63

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

**It is the day before the wedding. :)**

Michael slept better than he had in weeks so when his alarm started blaring his wake up call at six he quickly turned it off and rolled back over to view the beautiful woman beside him, the woman who would become his wife tomorrow. He glanced down to where the sheet, now tangled around her legs, was skirting her waist. Reaching out he placed his hand lightly on her stomach.

The joy he felt was almost overwhelming. He couldn't believe this was his life. After everything, how could he be granted this much happiness? Feeling her body shift he looked up to find her awake and watching him. Keeping his hand where it was resting, he leaned in and kissed her. He began to pull back but her hands came up to cup his face and pulled his lips back to hers.

Sara deepened their kiss and Michael's hand moved up to pull her body closer. There was a part of his mind that registered he needed to get up and get ready for work but the bigger part wanted to stay right where he was. This was the last morning they would wake up together until after they were married. The rooms were divided up at the bed and breakfast and they had their own room of course, but Mary and Katie had gotten their heads together after Sara had mentioned the sleeping arrangements and well…they'd been rather insistent that the bride and groom not see each other on their wedding day until the ceremony. That meant they wouldn't be sleeping in the same bed tonight.

The prospect of not waking up next to Sara didn't appeal to Michael at all. Although he understood tradition, he and Sara hadn't slept apart since that very first night. Since then he'd slept better than he had in his entire life, at least without the help of sleep aids, so he knew tonight the chances of him getting a good nights sleep were near impossible, especially since they'd just managed to close the mysterious divide that had been separating them recently. So Michael pushed aside everything inside his head except for the woman who was now running her hands across his head and down his back. He shifted his body so he was hovering above her.

When Michael moved over her, Sara opened her legs and he settled between them. His body pressed against hers and she could feel him already pressing hard against her, ready. Their tongues danced with each other as their breathing became heavier. Michael's palm came up to cup her face and he pulled back, eyes still closed, trying to catch his breath.

When his eyes opened and fell upon her again, they were darker than they'd been only minutes before. Their depths drew her in and she found her lips aching for his once more. Sliding her hands down his chest and then back up his torso, she reached up to pull his lips back to her own. His own hands began caressing every inch of her exposed flesh, one moving to cup her breast, her hard nipple pressing into his palm as she strained against his touch.

The speed of their breathing was increasing again with each sensual touch. She could feel him pressing against her more urgently as the heat between her own legs seemed to be calling to him. Suddenly he pulled back, breaking their heated kiss. But before she could question him he rolled off her and lay on his side turning her to face him.

They lay side by side, their breathing close to normal again, however the ache between her legs remained. His hands slowly roamed her body, from hip to shoulder and back. His hand moved to ghost over her stomach. He stilled again with his lips a breath from hers and looked into her eyes. The love she had for this man was overwhelming and she saw it reflected back in his beautiful blue eyes.

He placed another soft kiss on her lips before sliding down until his face moved to linger only an inch away from where his hand had been. Looking up at her, he placed a reverent kiss on her belly before moving lower.

She could feel his breath against her hip and then the junction between her legs. Her body moved to close the distance between his mouth and her flesh. Feeling his lips make contact, her legs parted slightly to give him access. The invitation didn't go unnoticed, nor was it ignored.

Softly he shifted them once again so she was on her back and he took a position between her legs placing soft kisses on the sensitive flesh now in front of him. The light pressure, while it felt good, was not enough. She wanted more and raised her hips in encouragement to let him know her desires.

Michael was enjoying the feel, the smell, the taste of Sara against his lips. Pleasuring her this way always aroused him in an unbelievable way. Part of it was her reactions. Listening to the hitch in her breathing when he got close to the center of her pleasure, the way she would move her hips ever so slightly when he wouldn't quite touch where she most wanted him to; all of it left him wanting her more than he ever thought it was possible to want a woman before her.

When she raised her hips, he understood what she wanted. He'd been waiting for her reaction since he'd been teasing her with the light brushes of his lips. Moving so his mouth was directly over her clit, he leaned in and again kissed her with only the lightest touch but instead of pulling away as before he let his tongue dart out and circle the sensitive flesh.

Sara's reaction was immediate. Her hands grabbed at his head to hold him in place and her breath was coming quickly now. It didn't take long before her hips were moving too and he knew she was close. She was panting and he could hear her saying his name, almost begging. Normally her would join them at this point so they could come together, but right now…he wanted this to be just for her.

He felt her entire body go ridged a moment before her release came. Her hips rose off the bed to grind into his face and her hands held him securely to her. The lips that had repeated his name over and over let out a silent scream.

As she came down from her high, Michael crawled back up her body to hover over her. But as soon as his lips were within close proximity to her own, she pulled them down to cover hers delving her tongue into his mouth. Pulling her knees up, she reached down between their bodies until she found what she wanted. With one hand on his hip and the other wrapping around him she urged him closer, her hips rising off the mattress.

Michael didn't resist this time. Following her guidance, he joined them together. Their mouths remained locked as their bodies moved swallowing each other's moans as they rose deep from their throats. As their bodies moved together, the tension built until they were both clinging to each other as the sensations finally overcame them.

Trying to catch his breath, Michael pressed his lips to ear. "Morning." He said with a smile.

Sara's arms felt like jelly, but she managed to put some pressure behind them and give him a squeeze. "Morning."

They lay intertwined for a few minutes more before Michael sighed and pulled himself out of the bed to head towards the shower. Sara watched him disappear into the bathroom. Debating for half a second, she got up to follow him and realized the nauseous feeling in her stomach was almost non-existent. Maybe she'd found the cure to her morning sickness. With that thought, she ducked into the bathroom clicking the door shut behind her.

~

Work for Michael that morning was anything but productive. Between his co-workers well wishes, some of which surprised him, and his mind focusing on their doctors appointment this afternoon and the wedding tomorrow; Michael didn't feel as if he'd gotten much accomplished. When he walked into the apartment at twelve twenty, he quickly changed out of his work clothes and into a pair of kakis and one of his long sleeve t-shirts. Sara gave him a brief look at his choice of attire but didn't comment.

They made their way into the doctor's office with only minutes to spare. Once inside there was so much paperwork to fill out it was insane. At just after one, and after Sara had to duck into the bathroom to pee in a cup, they were shown into a small room with a table and one chair. The nurse handed Sara a gown and instructed her to remove everything but her bra and socks. Quickly stripping down, she slipped the gown on and made her way onto the table to wait for the doctor.

Glancing over at Michael, she could tell he was nervous and reached out her hand. He took it and stepped towards her. Michael's thumb caressed the back of her hand and she felt her own anxiety melt away. Neither said anything as they waited but kept their eyes focused on each other.

They were so focused, in fact, that when the door opened they both jumped. Michael began to step back, but Sara held tight sending him a message she wanted him to stay right where he was. "Good afternoon." Dr. Carver said with a smile, a chart open in his hands.

"Hello." Sara replied.

Dr. Carver pushed a small stool on wheels in front of the table where Sara was sitting and sat down. "Well it looks like congratulations are in order." He said eyeing the couple. "The information I have here says this will be your first?" he asked.

"Yes."

The doctor nodded. "Do you have any questions for me before we do the examination?"

"No." Sara said and Michael just shook his head.

"Well ok then." He said reaching for his gloves and pulling out the stirrups. "Let's have a look shall we?"

Sara lie back against the table and put her legs up in the stirrups. The examination wasn't much different than what she endured every year during her normal exams but when she glanced over at Michael, he seemed less than comfortable. She gave his hand a comforting squeeze and got a small smile in return. After that, Michael's eyes remained fixed on her face until the doctor was finished.

As they approached the car, she heard Michael release a large breath and pull her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, "I love you." And then his mouth found hers for a brief yet passionate kiss. When he broke away, his hand came up to brush the hair away from her face. "Are you ready to marry me Miss Tandredi?" he said with a half smile.

Sara noticed the tension in his shoulders had begun to relax after the doctor had confirmed everything looked perfectly normal. She hadn't realized until now how concerned he must have been for her and the baby. A part of her wondered what had been going on in that brain of his to cause his anxiety but she knew better than to ask. He wouldn't tell her. So instead she cupped his face with her hands and looked directly into those blue eyes that always left her captivated, "More than ready Mr. Scofield."

They stood there for another minute before he reached down and opened the door for her. Sliding into her seat he shut the door behind her and made his way around to the other side. It was now almost two o'clock and they were meeting with the minister at four. Putting the car in gear Michael headed towards the highway to start the hour-long drive out to the bed and breakfast.

~

LJ was pacing by this point. Why did her fights always have to be late? Didn't anything run on time anymore? It was almost three o'clock and he'd been at the airport since two. He'd sat for a while, then gotten up and bought a cup of coffee. The coffee was long gone and he was beginning to regret getting it since the caffeine probably wasn't helping his nerves.

He looked up at the screen again for what had to be the thousandth time and saw her flight number's arrival time change to three fifty. Looking down at his watch yet again, he realized that was almost an hour away. He needed to find something to do before he drove himself crazy. Turning toward the small line of stores at the other side of the terminal he headed out to find anything to occupy his mind and his body for the next sixty minutes.

By three forty-five LJ was back where he started, pacing in front of the arrival screens. He'd managed to page though every magazine every store in the airport had as well as look at each and every stupid souvenir they were selling. He was glad the board still showed her arrival time as three fifty. At least that was something, only five more minutes. Well…five more minutes and however long it took her to get off the plane and twist her way through the people in order to find him.

They'd talked last night of course, as they did every night, but it had been different. The knowledge that they would see each other the next day was the only thing either of them could think about. In fear her parents may have been listening to their conversation, he hadn't told her about the sleeping arrangements this weekend.

They would have their own room. Just thinking about it sent another jolt of excitement though him. Last Saturday, Sara had pulled him aside and gave him the news. He'd been on top of the world ever since.

The board changed to her flight to "arrived" and he moved so he could easily see her when she came through the gate. He didn't have to wait long. She was moving swiftly though the throng of people and the excitement was evident on her face. As soon as she cleared the area marked only for passengers, she broke out in a run.

He caught her and wrapped his arms around her. There was no sadness this time in their meeting they pulled back just enough until their mouths found one another. Every one around them disappeared as they said their hello.

Reluctantly they ended their kiss and Jess slid her free hand down his arm and tangle her fingers with his. After picking up her luggage, they loaded everything into the car and headed for the bed and breakfast. It was already four thirty and the rehearsal started at six. With an over an hour drive ahead of them, they had no time to spare.

~

Sara and Michael arrived at their destination just before three. Carol greeted them, showed them their room, and gave them a few minutes to get settled. As they made their way down stairs around four to meet the minister they saw Lincoln and Sam walk through the door. The pleasantries were short however, as the minister arrived and Michael and Sara went with him into the study.

Things with the minister went smoothly. He'd wanted to go over the specifics of the vowels they wanted and asked if they had any additional questions for him. They didn't. With everything in order, they had almost an hour to kill before the run through at six.

Sara left Michael with the minister and headed up the stairs to their room. Gathering the things she'd put together for her stay in Mary's room tonight, she heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Sam whose arms were currently overflowing with Sara's dress. "Hey." She smiled in greeting. "Lincoln wasn't sure where you wanted this."

Sara smiled back. Sam seemed to be fitting into the family dynamics nicely, which made Sara very happy. Lincoln had been so sad after losing Veronica once everything had settled down and he'd actually had to deal with his loss. He deserved someone that made him as happy as Michael made her and she sincerely hoped Sam was that woman. "Just let me grab my bag…" Sara said grabbing the duffle bag she'd packed for tonight. "Ok. Let's go."

Sam followed Sara down the hall and around the corner to a room that looked very similar to the one she and Lincoln were in except there were two double beds in this one instead of one queen. Looking around, Sam found a hook on the door just inside the closet and hung up the dress. "Is this ok?"

"That'll work." Sara agreed.

Just then they heard voices coming down the hall. "And here you go."

Carol paused as she saw Sara and Sam. Mary didn't have any such hesitation however. She walked into the room and gave her friend a hug. "I was wondering if I'd have to come find you and drag you away from that hot man of yours." She smiled. In a lower tone she asked, "How are you?"

Sara just smiled back. "I'm good."

"Well if you'd excuse me. I need to finish getting things prepped for tonight." Carol said and disappeared out the door.

"And I think I'm going to see if I can find Lincoln." Sam said as she ducked out behind Carol shutting the door behind her.

As soon as they were alone, Mary took Sara's hands and sat her down on the bed. "Ok, let's hear it." She paused and looked at Sara with serious eyes. "You did tell him, right?"

Sara smiled. "Yes."

Mary waited but Sara didn't continue. "Your killing me you know. And?"

Sara's smile just got wider. "He already knew."

"What?!"

"He said he'd figured it out weeks ago and was trying to figure out why I hadn't told him yet."

"So he's…happy…about it?"

"Yes." Sara said, not able to contain herself.

Mary gave Sara's hands a squeeze. "You are going to make a wonderful mother, Sara."

"Thanks."

A knock on the door made them jump. "Is Sara in there?" Michael's voice came from behind the door.

"Who wants to know?" Mary asked with teasing in her voice, but Sara was already halfway to the door before it had left her mouth. Sara opened the door and Michael's figure filled the frame. As soon as he saw her, he was smiling. "Hello Michael." Mary called from the bed.

Reluctantly Michael moved his eyes away from his fiancée for the time it took to greet Mary, "Hello Mary," and then his eyes were focused once again on Sara. "LJ and Jessica just arrived and I thought…"

But Sara didn't give him time to finish. "Mary I'll see you downstairs at six?"

Mary released a giggle as her friend disappeared through the door. "You can count on it."

~

Sara and Michael just reached the bottom of the stairs when Jessica spotted them. With a small squeal, Jessica released her hand from LJ's and ran over to give Sara a hug. Wrapping her arms around the young girl she hugged her back. It was amazing how much she'd missed Jessica over the last month. She'd really become part of the family. Sara had no idea what it would be like if Jessica's parents decided not to let her return in the fall.

By the time their embrace was finished, LJ was back beside her. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his side. LJ wasn't letting her get to far away from him, which was just fine with Jessica. She'd missed him like crazy.

Just then the door opened as Katie walked in. After brief hello's, Carol offered to take Katie as well as LJ and Jessica up and show them their rooms. They ascended the stairs and Jessica's heart began to sink as the first room they entered had two double beds. Although she'd known in her mind she'd probably be rooming with one of Sara's bride's maids, the reality of it after the warmth of being with LJ again was like a hard slap in the face.

Then she heard the sweetest words she'd ever heard, "Alright. And if you two will follow me…your room is just down the hall."

Jessica looked into LJ's face to see if what she thought was really true. He just smiled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Surprise."

Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. They were getting their own room. Together. Alone. Taking LJ's hand firmly in hers, she quickly followed Carol down the hall pulling LJ with her.

Their room was small, the bed being the dominant feature. A small closet was tucked into the corner and there was what looked to be an antique dresser along the far wall. It was perfect. Jessica barely heard their host explaining about the bathroom down the hall before she politely excused herself from the room leaving them alone.

She was still taking everything in when LJ said, "I'll just run down to the car and get the bags. I'll be right…" He didn't get to finish. Jessica pulled him to her and covered his mouth with hers.

After a brief second, he responded bringing his arms around her and pulling her flush against him. He'd missed her. Oh how he'd missed her. Their kiss at the airport had been amazing but this was…mind-blowing. It felt like they were both trying to crawl into each other's skin. They were both gasping for breath by the time they broke the kiss. Neither pulled away though, as they stayed locked together looking into the other's eyes.

Noise in the hall broke into the spell they were under and LJ looked over her shoulder to the clock beside the bed. Five-fifty. With a sigh he brought his hands up to cup her face. Placing a quick but hard kiss on her lips he reluctantly stepped back and intertwined their fingers once again and they headed downstairs for the rehearsal.

~

The run through went without a hitch and the dinner Carol prepared was nothing short of amazing. It was so nice to have everyone together again, both her family and her friends. After dinner every one went out onto the front porch to enjoy the beautiful summer night. It was clear and stars filled the sky. Everyone was huddled together talking except for LJ and Jessica. They were at the far end of the porch completely absorbed in each other. Just after ten the young couple stood up and quietly walked into the house. The rest of the group noticed but no one said anything as they disappeared.

They ascended the stairs hand in hand making their way to their room. When they arrived, LJ silently closed the door behind them and locked it before pulling Jess into his arms. His lips slowly descended to hers begging for admission into her mouth. She parted her lips welcoming him and sighed as their tongues expressed the depth of their feelings.

Jess's fingers tangled in his hair as she began to walk back toward the bed never breaking their kiss. When the back of her knees hit the bed she let her hands slip down his neck, over his shoulders and chest until they reached the hem of his shirt. Tugging it from his waistband she let her fingers slide below the fabric briefly before moving it up.

LJ didn't want to remove his lips from hers for even a second but he had to in order to get his shirt over his head. To speed the process and reduce the amount of separation, he'd taken over his shirts removal once she'd push it up as far as she could without his help. Quickly throwing it to the floor, not caring where it landed, he pulled her back to him.

She was wearing a simple sundress. He couldn't imagine it had been comfortable for a plane ride but at this moment he was very grateful. It meant easy removal and quick assess to Jess. He slid the zipper down her back and brought his hands up to glide it off her shoulders. His hands followed it down until it reached her hips and fell gracefully to the floor.

LJ's hands remianed at her hips kneading the flesh there, pulling her closer to him with every thrust of his tongue. Her hands made their way down his bare chest and found his waistband. Unbuttoning his pants and then pushing down on the zipper, she pushed the material toward the floor and felt him step out of them leaving them both in only their underwear.

Jess leaned back putting a small space between them. He tried to close the distance again but she placed a hand on his chest and he raised an eyebrow in question. She gave him a sly smile as she climbed onto the bed. "I'm coming back."

LJ paused not understanding what she was saying and then finally it clicked. "They're letting you come back this fall?"

She nodded. A huge smile broke across his face and he tumbled on the bed covering her in quick kisses as Jess lost herself in a fit of giggles. He brought his face level to hers and placing a kiss on her nose, brushed her hair away from her face.

Moving her arms to wrap around his neck, their expressions turned serious again. Letting his eyes linger on her lips, he leaned in and captured them once again before continuing where they'd left off.

~

The rest of the group made their way up the stairs just after eleven with each filing off to their assigned rooms. Mary gave Sara a knowing look as she left her standing with Michael outside their room. The two stood facing each other with their hands laced together, Michael thumbs rubbing circles over her skin.

The silence filled the hallway with neither one wanting to break apart. Michael raised his right hand to brush his fingers along her cheek. His eyes moved to her lips knowing he needed to say goodnight and not wanting to. "I'm going to miss you tonight."

Sara sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and began worrying it. A soft moan escaped Michael and he leaned down to take her lip into his mouth. Sara stepped forward and pressed into him as his arms came around her. The kiss was slow and sensual and could very easily have turned into what he most wanted, but he knew he needed to end this.

Frustrated he pulled away. "Goodnight." He said as he stepped back.

"Goodnight." She whispered back as she watched him walk down the hall into their bedroom and close the door.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Ok, there's only one more chapter left and the epiloge. Next up is the wedding. :)**


	64. Chapter 64

Michael stood hands in his pockets watching the sunrise above the treetops. It had been a long night without Sara by his side. He'd tossed and turned more than he had in months. Finally at five thirty, giving up, he'd made his way from the bed. The room he was in was the only one with a private bathroom. Taking his time, he showered, slipped into a pair of kakis and a long sleeve shirt then made his way downstairs.

He'd heard movement in the kitchen and figured Carol was already up and getting ready for the day. Not wanting to bother her, he slipped down the hall and out the back door. At only six the temperature was already quite comfortable. Some of the garden area had already begun its transformation for the day's event but he knew three hours from now the garden wouldn't be the peaceful, quite place it was now but alive with people and activity.

Hearing the door opening behind him, he turned and saw Carol approaching with two cups of coffee in her hands. She handed him one. "Thank you." He said as he took it from her. She just nodded her head and then moved to stand beside him holding her own mug in two hands.

"Beautiful isn't it."

"Yes." Michael answered.

They stood in silence for several minutes sipping their coffee and watching the morning take shape surrounding them. Michael glanced over at the woman beside him. "Shouldn't you go back inside?"

She smiled. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Michael's lip twitched up in a small smile of his own and he shook his head. "No. Not at all it's just…well…your not supposed to be alone with me."

"Ah. You heard that did you?"

"Yes."

She turned slightly so she could face him. "I'm safe with you aren't I?" she asked.

"Yes." He assured her.

Turning back she brought the mug to her lips again. "Well then. Why don't we just enjoy this beautiful morning and you let me worry about my husband shall we?"

She didn't say anymore and neither did he until they heard movement inside the house and she went to see about getting breakfast started leaving him to finish his coffee alone.

~

When Carol entered the kitchen she saw Michael's brother with his back to her appearing to be looking for something. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Lincoln jumped a bit and turned. "Yeah sorry." He didn't continue so she waited. "Oh. Yeah. Cups?" he asked.

Carol chuckled. It was hard for her to remember she was supposed to be on her guard around these two men considering how endearing she was finding them to be. Last night she'd had the opportunity to make some observations. She'd already noticed the level of connection between Michael and Sara after the first time they'd met. Last night however, she found it extended throughout the entire family.

There were three couples, Michael and Sara of course, Lincoln and Sam, and the young couple; LJ and Jessica. The love these couples had for each other was obvious to anyone who was paying attention. And although she was glad to see it, many couples had that connection. What did surprise her, however, was the love displayed by the whole. There were two extra members of rehearsal dinner last night outside of the minister, Sara's attendants. While the women were included in the conversation, it was clear they were not part of this family.

Lincoln shifted his weight and it drew her attention back to the present. "Yes. Cups." Carol crossed the room and opened the cabinet above the sink removing two coffee mugs. Handing them over to Lincoln, "Coffee's over there. Help yourself."

"Thanks." Lincoln said and made a b-line for the coffee maker, quickly pouring two cups and then heading back upstairs.

Figuring she'd better get breakfast started if her guests were beginning to wake up, she began pulling out her supplies and got to work.

~

Lincoln quietly opened the door and slipped inside the room. Sam was still sleeping quietly. Moving to stand beside the bed he set the cups of coffee on the nightstand and crouched down so that is face was level with hers.

Reaching out a hand he brushed her hair away from her face and leaned in to kiss those lips that had done such wonderful things to him last night. As he pulled back, she took in a lung full of air and smiled before opening her eyes.

"I brought you coffee."

"Hmm." She said as she began to sit up.

This action caused the thin sheet that had been covering her to fall to her waist. He let his eyes linger for a moment before tearing them away and handing Sam her coffee.

She took a tentative sip. "Mmm. Thank you." She smiled. Taking a few more sips, she noticed he hadn't touched his. She'd also noticed he couldn't seem to keep himself from looking at her half naked body and she couldn't help but tease him. "Aren't you going to drink your coffee?"

Lincoln's eyes flashed to hers and paused for a moment before grabbing his coffee and taking a huge gulp. He cringed as the hot liquid burned his throat. Sam burst out laughing and noticed Lincoln's eyes fell immediately to her breast. She stopped laughing. "Lincoln." She paused and his eyes met hers. "If there's something you want…" He didn't let her finish. Grabbing her cup, he set both mugs on the nightstand freeing both his hands. Placing his knee on the bed he fell on top of her finding her lips with his.

Sam's hand reached for the hem of his shirt and began pulling it up and over his head, throwing it away from her as soon as it was free. She ran her hands down his chest until she found the snap of his jeans. As she worked to remove the only clothing separating them, their kisses were on the edge of control. Once she got his jeans off his hips, he helped her get them down his knees and out of the way.

Lincoln broke his mouth away and lifted up long enough to push the thin sheet to the side to reveal the rest of Sam's nakedness to him. Running his hand along her heated flesh, he was ready for her. Beyond ready. Sliding his hand between her legs he made sure she was ready for him. He wasn't an impatient lover, he really wasn't. But for some reason whenever things got started with Sam, they became intense. Fast.

He felt the moisture and the heat on his hand and knew he didn't have to wait any longer. Reaching over, he opened the draw and grabbed some protection. He separated them just long enough to slip the barrier on and settled back into position. He kissed her again, picking up where he'd left off before sliding into the warmth that was quickly beginning to feel like home.

~

LJ felt warm fingers feathering his hair and a smile came to his face as he remember where he was. "Good morning." He whispered without opening his eyes.

Soft lips caressed his. "Good morning."

Before those lips could get too far away from him, he wrapped his hand around her neck so he could still feel her breath as he flipped her onto her back. "Where do you think your going?" he asked with a smirk. She opened her mouth to answer him but his lips descended first.

Jessica hands slid up his back and held him close. She loved waking up to LJ and the fact she was coming back in the fall and would hopefully be spending many more mornings like this made her heart do a flip flops. LJ's fingers moved down lingering on her curves and she couldn't help but moan. "LJ?" His mouth was beginning to follow his hand. "LJ…maybe we should…head downstairs." He wasn't stopping. "See if…if they need…need our help."

"Later." She heard him mumble as his mouth found her nipple.

Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding his head to her. "Later." She agreed.

~

Lincoln was just coming out of the bathroom from his shower when he saw his son slipping out of his room. When LJ turned and saw him, a shy smile crossed his face. Lincoln chuckled to himself. It was still a little hard to think of his son having sex with his girlfriend and it was quite obvious from LJ's body language that he and Jessica had clearly been engaging in their own set of morning activities. Giving a nod of hello, he headed back to he and Sam's room.

When he opened the door, Sam was just putting her shoes on. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The look was incredibly sexy and it took all the effort he had not to take them right back off her again. Seeming to know what he was thinking, she pulled the final string on her tennis shoe and walked over to him. Without touching him with anything other than her lips, she managed to raise his heart rate and leave his fingers itching to touch her. Just before he could react however, Sam took a step back and gave him a devilish smile. "I'll be downstairs."

She left him standing there gaping after her. Running his hands over his face in an effort to clear his head, he moved to dresser to finished getting ready himself.

~

Mary got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, which she was glad to find empty. She heard commotion downstairs so she knew others were up. Once she Finished with her shower she headed back to her room and found Sara still sleeping. Sara had had a rough night. Mary had no idea what time her friend had finally fallen asleep but it had been late. Deciding to let Sara sleep for a little while longer, she made her way downstairs to look for some coffee.

~

Michael, Lincoln and LJ were in the kitchen scarffing down the breakfast Carol had fixed for them. Sam, Jessica, Katie and Carol were no where in sight.

The guys were so intent on the food in front of them, they didn't here Mary coming. When she entered the room, they all looked up startled. Seeing the look on their faces, she stopped in her tracks and smiled. "Morning."

Lincoln and LJ greeted her in return. Michael was silent however. Mary glanced to the counter and found the coffee she'd been looking for along with a stack of what looked to be freshly made pancakes. She quickly grabbed herself a plate and sat down opposite the guys.

As she ate, Carol came back into the room and asked if they would like anything else. They assured her they were fine. Before disappearing again, she told them to help themselves and showed them where they could find most of the other breakfast items if any of the others needed anything. As she exited, Mary finished the last of her food, placed her plate in the sink and went back to the food. "Still hungry?" Lincoln joked.

Giving him a smile. "No." Selecting a small try from the counter she began adding items. "The bride has to remain out of sight of the groom until its time. So that means SHE gets breakfast in bed."

Mary had just turned herself back to the food when Michael said. "Toast."

Mary stopped. Her eyes met Michael's for a brief second and then nodded. Her friend's morning sickness must be worse than she'd let on. Disregarding the pancakes completely, Mary popped two pieces of toast in the toaster. She decided to put a mug of coffee, a glass of orange juice and a glass of water on the tray not knowing which Sara would want or feel like this morning.

As the toast popped up, she put them and some butter and jelly onto the tray. As she started for the door, Michael stood. "How is she this morning?"

Mary turned to face him. The look of concern on his face moved her. "She was still asleep when I left. Don't worry Michael. She has a doctor and a nurse by her side today. She'll be fine."

"Yea." He whispered and then stepped outside.

She felt Lincoln's eyes on her but she didn't acknowledge him. Instead, she made her way with the tray up to her friend.

~

A minute after Mary left, the girls came back in each carrying a box. LJ moved to help them, but Lincoln's eyes were still on the door his brother had retreated out of less than two minutes ago. Sam noticed his distraction and after setting her box off to the side, she came up to wrap her arms around him. "Something wrong?"

"Don't know." Standing he moved out of her embrace. "Be right back."

Lincoln found Michael standing in the middle of the gazebo with his back to the house. He made his way to his brother's side and stood for a moment without saying a word. Michael glanced over at him, acknowledging his presence but didn't comment.

"You gonna tell me what's going on Mikey? Is there something wrong with Sara?"

Michael turned to his brother and shook his head. "No. There's nothing wrong with her."

"Ok. What then?"

"She's pregnant, Linc."

"What?"

"Sara and I..."

Lincoln didn't let him finish. He grabbed Michael into a bear hug. "Congratulations Michael."

"Thanks." Michael said with a smile.

Pulling back Lincoln gave his brother a look of pure admiration. "Your gonna be a father."

"That's usually how it works." He smirked.

Lincoln pushed him away playfully. "When did you find out?"

Michael decided not to tell his brother about the weeks he'd thought Sara had been keeping it from him. "We went to the doctor yesterday."

"So when?"

"She's only about eight weeks he said so..."

"This is great Mikey. I'm so happy for you. You'll make a great father."

Michael really didn't know what do say. The only thing on his mind was Sara. This not seeing each other...he didn't like it.

When his brother remained quite Lincoln thought back to the exchange that had led Michael out here. "I take it she's experiencing morning sickness?"

Michael nodded.

Lincoln nodded back. "Mary's right. She'll be fine. She has her own personal medial staff today."

"I know."

The two brother's stood there for a few more minutes in silence before Sam poked her head out the back door asking for their help.

Sara heard the door shut and knew it had to be Mary. As she rolled over, the smell of food assaulted her nose and she felt the nausea beginning to stir. With a groan she threw her pillow over her face.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty." Mary commented cheerfully. "I brought you some breakfast."

Sara moved the pillow away and looked at her friend. "I don't think I can eat it Mary. I'm sorry."

Mary set the try down on the other side of the room and sat down on the end of the bed. "Stomach?" she asked.

"Yes."

Taking a deep breath Mary got up. "Michael is downstairs and Lincoln has agreed to keep him there for at least an hour so you can have use of the bathroom so…"

Sara knew what that meant. She needed to get up and get moving. The wedding was still several hours away but… "Ok. Ok. I'm going." Sara said as she slowly pushed herself up and out of the bed. Reaching into the overnight bag she'd brought into the room with her, she grabbed her toiletries and headed for the door.

"What about your breakfast?"

Sara wrinkled her nose. Her stomach didn't feel like it could hold anything at the moment, even the toast Mary had brought her. "Maybe after."

Mary just nodded.

~

The rest of the morning went by in a rush. Michael spent most of the time downstairs with Lincoln and LJ helping to finish the set up outside. Jess and Sam were in the kitchen doing any odd jobs Carol needed help with.

Katie and Mary were upstairs with Sara. They'd managed to get one piece of toast and some water down her several hours ago but nothing since then. The beginnings of the morning had gone slow since Sara wasn't quite feeling herself and since Katie wasn't stupid and knew something was wrong Sara had had to break down and tell her.

Her friend had been a little shocked at first but then excitement filled the room as she threw questions at her. Sara explained as much as she could but all in all this was still new to her. She hadn't even thought past the fact she had a little piece of Michael growing inside her.

Around noon, Carol came up and offered the girls some finger foods to tide them over until the reception. By this point Sara was ready except for putting her dress on and she could hear increased commotion downstairs. Amazingly she wasn't nervous. Instead excitement ran through her. She realized she'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.

The only sadness that dampened this day was that her father could not share it with her. She smiled to herself as she thought of what her father's reaction would have been to the man she was marrying. He would have liked Michael before his stay in Fox River but would he have given him a chance afterward? She'd like to think so. She'd like to hope her father would have taken the time to look past the surface and see what a wonderful, sweet, caring man Michael was and how much she loved him.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the knock at the door. Turning she saw Jessica enter and smile at her. "People are starting to arrive. I wanted to see if you needed anything."

Sara glanced at the clock. It was already one ten. How had that happened? "No. Thanks, but I think I'm good."

Jessica's smile widened. "Better get your dress on. Show times in twenty minutes." And with that she disappeared back out the door.

Sara took a deep breath but she didn't have time to think about anything else. Before she knew it, Mary pulled her back to the center of the room and Katie brought her dress over. They helped her into her dress and made a few finishing touches to her hair and make up.

Seeing Mary glance again at the clock her eyes followed. One twenty three. "Ok you ready?" Mary asked.

This wasn't something Sara needed to think about. "Yes. I'm ready."

Katie turned and gave Sara and Mary their flowers and opened the door. "After you." She said.

Sara started toward the door with Mary and Katie following making sure she didn't trip on her train and she headed down the stairs.

~

Michael stood inside the gazebo pulling at his sleeves. Lincoln and LJ stood beside him. It'd turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun was shining and although it was in the eighties, the heat was bearable in the shaded garden.

The backyard of the bed and breakfast had been turned into a flowing paradise. There were white chairs lined up in rows with bouquets of flowers tied to the ends. The stair railing leading up to where he was standing was also covered in flowers. The setting was beautiful but not at all overwhelming.

Seated in front of him were his boss John and his wife Becky, Matt and Vicki, James who also worked at Michael's firm, Jenny and Liz who worked with Sara, Jessica, and Sam. It was a small gathering but that was fine with Michael. The people who mattered in their lives were there and all were dressed in their Sunday best waiting for Sara to come down the aisle.

He'd been talking to Lincoln until he saw movement at the back door of the house and his eyes started looking for Sara. They'd decided on a traditional ceremony, well as traditional as they could get. Obviously Sara's dad could not walk her down the aisle. They'd talked about someone else giving her away but it just hadn't felt right. In the end it was decided she would walk down alone.

Michael saw Katie first. She took her time walking down the aisle and up the gazebo steps, taking her place off to the side. Mary was next to emerge from the house. She followed much the same path and pace as Katie but stopped at the base of the gazebo steps.

Then he saw her. She wore a simple white gown that hugged her shoulders just as the dress she'd worn for their first date. The gown fell down around her brushing the ground beneath. He watched as she followed her friend's path down the small aisle. When she reached the steps, Mary moved behind her and raised her train and she ascended taking her place beside Michael. As she placed her hand in his, she met his smile with one of her own. He gave her hand a small squeeze as their eyes locked for a moment before turning to face the minister.

~

The ceremony was short and simple, their hands in constant contact. The minister pronounced them husband and wife and Michael leaned forward to kiss his wife. Just before their lips met their eyes locked again in an emotional connection that could only have been forged through the many hardships they'd seen over the past few years.

The kiss was chaste and all too brief. They turned to their friends as they were announced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Michael Scofield. Everyone clapped and Lincoln gave a howl of support as Michael and Sara made their way down the gazebo stairs together and out into their friends.

~

All the guest came up to great Michael and Sara and offer congratulations while the chairs were moved out of rows and a few tables along with a small dancing area was set up in the garden. They had a small reception in the garden with music and food. Carol had made a beautiful cake for them. Sara threw the bouquet, which Sam caught and Michael had fun sneaking up Sara's dress for the garter.

Things began to slow down a bit and music began to play from the speakers at the edge of the lawn. Michael pulled Sara into his arms and out onto the small dance floor.  
He held Sara in his arms and was amazed as he held her close as to how his life had turned out. As far as he was concerned, his life was complete. He would be off parole next week, a free man. He was married to the woman he loved, the one who completed him. And to make things even better…he was going to be a father.

Michael noticed Lincoln and Sam had joined them out on the dance floor along with most of the other couples. Turning his head he found LJ and Jessica standing off to the side with their arms around each other. It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention just how in love those two were. He was glad his family seemed to be as happy as he was. Michael let out a sigh of contentment and Sara looked up at him. "Happy?" she asked.

Michael smiled. "Yes. Very ." He leaned down to give his wife a small kiss and then pulled her back in his arms.


	65. Chapter 65

**A/N:**

**This is the Epilogue to the story. Thank you to all of those who have read and enjoyed this story. It was my first attempt at fan fiction and will always remain close to my heart. **

3 ½ years later

Michael finished buttoning his shirt as he made his way down the hall to the living room. He was dressed a little nicer than usual since they were expecting company. As he rounded the corner of their home, the first thing he noticed was his daughter jumping excitedly up and down on the couch as she looked out the front window. "Christina Grace what are doing?"

At the sound of her father's voice, a huge smile stretched her face and Grace jumped down from her place on the couch and ran to her father. "Daddy! Aunt Sam! Uncle Linc'n!"

Picking his daughter up in his arms, he peered out the window. He could see brother and sister-in-law heading up the walk and made his way to the door to let them in. As soon as the door opened, Lincoln and Sam ducked inside. There was a warm front moving through Chicago for this time of year but with evening approaching the temperature was already falling.

Lincoln quickly removed his coat, throwing on a nearby chair before reaching to take his niece from Michael. Grace went willingly to her uncle, giggling, leaving her father with empty arms. Taking Sam's coat from her and grabbing Lincoln's, Michael put them in the closet out of the way just as Sara came out of the kitchen. Lincoln saw her first. "Hey Sara."

She smiled back at him, "Lincoln. Sam." Taking a few more steps into the room, "Can I get you two something to drink?"

Sam and Lincoln were utterly engrossed in the little girl Lincoln held in his arms but Sam glanced up at Lincoln briefly before making her way over to Sara. "Why don't you have a seat and rest for a bit, Sara, I'll get it." With that Sam disappeared into the kitchen.

Sara glanced over at Michael who just smiled and shrugged. Shaking her head, Sara followed Sam. She found the woman filling two glasses with ice. When Sam saw her, "Would you like something?"

Sara laughed. "Sam, I'm perfectly capable of getting myself something to drink."

"I'm sorry, Sara." She paused, flustered. "I didn't mean…"

"I know. It's ok. I know you mean well, Sam."

Laying the glasses down on the counter, Sam went over to give her sister-in-law a hug, which Sara quickly returned. "I just know you've been working all day preparing for tonight and…" Pulling back she straightened her shoulders. "What can I do to help?"

Sara couldn't help but smile. She was too happy and she knew Sam meant well. "Michael helped me get things together earlier. Everything's pretty much ready and in the fridge." Sam looked a bit disappointed. "I could use some help once everyone's here though." That brightened her up.

Sam was all smiles as she turned back to finish getting their drinks. "We're so excited for you, you know. Me and Lincoln," She paused. "We love Gracie like crazy. We can't wait to have another niece or nephew."

Sara's hand rubbed the small bump and smiled, "It will be interesting having a baby around the house again. It's hard to believe Grace is almost three."

"She's growing up so fast."

The object of their discussion let out a high squeal bringing the ladies back out into the living room. Standing in the entry way were LJ, Jessica and her parents who'd come to visit for the holidays.

Sara's gaze went immediately to Jessica and saw the tense set of her shoulders, which belied the smile on her face. After graduating from college, the young couple decided to get an apartment together. To put in mildly, Jessica's parents were not pleased. They'd decided to come out to Chicago for Christmas when Jessica informed them she wouldn't be coming home this year.

Christmas itself had been a bit strained and Sara and Michael both felt the real purpose for their visit was to convince their daughter to either come home or at the very least get a place of her own. The Rice's were very nice and had finally come to accept LJ as part of Jessica's life over the last three years. They were, however, still very traditional parents. Tom and Megan Rice did not feel it was right for their daughter to be living with her boyfriend. Not under any circumstances.

Michael politely greeted the new arrivals and put their coats away. As soon as Grace saw LJ's hands were free, she was wiggling off Lincoln's lap and begging LJ to play with her. Swinging his cousin up into his arms, he carried her over to where her new toys from Christmas lay, tickling her all the way. Jessica watched for a minute before making her way over to sit beside the two and join in their game.

Sara offered the new guest drinks before she and Sam disappeared back into the kitchen. Michael and the Rice's took seats near Lincoln and tried to make themselves comfortable. Michael and Lincoln both tried to make conversation with Jess's parents asking if they'd taken in any of the Christmas sights or shopping over the last week. Tom and Megan answered their questions politely but their thoughts were never far from their daughter.

Jessica and LJ seemed to find blissful oblivion while playing with Grace. She'd gotten a cooking set, complete with a kitchenette and plastic food, and was now trying to make a full course meal for the two of them. Jessica was currently play eating some waffles, while Grace had LJ sipping on a cup of tea.

As Sam and Sara began to bring things out to the table, Jessica and Megan jumped up to help. It didn't take long to get everything set.

Dinner went smoothly but the tension from earlier still hung in the air. Once everyone was full to near overflowing, the ladies once again helped Sara to clear the table while the men took the opportunity to entertain Grace. Making a trip from dinning room to kitchen Sara took a minute to observe the scene across the room and was surprised to find a broad smile on the faces of all four men, including Tom Rice. It would appear her daughter had even managed to win him over.

With a smug smile Sara returned to the kitchen. The mood in there was more tense than the scene she'd just witnessed surrounding her daughter, but it appeared to be getting a bit better. Grace's birthday was the topic of conversation now as Megan and Sam worked to rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher, while Jess put food away in the fridge. Sara joined in the lighthearted conversation and hoped this was an omen for the rest of the evening.

After cleaning up, everyone settled themselves back in the living room. LJ and Jess were back on the floor playing with Grace while the rest of the adults were seated around the coffee table in couples. The conversation turned to Lincoln's newly started construction business. Tom and Megan soon became engrossed in the conversation and seemed to finally be relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Michael sat beside Sara on the love seat, his arm draped over her shoulder rubbing small circles. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "How you holding up?"

Sara leaned into him, "I'm fine." She knew he'd been watching her all night. He was always so protective of her when she was pregnant. In reality he was being a lot better this time. With Grace, he'd barely let her do anything. And although she loved him for his concern, it had nearly driven her crazy at times.

She rested her hand on his leg and drew his attention with her eyes over to their daughter. Grace was still playing with LJ and Jess but Sara had caught her daughter beginning to rub her eyes as she did when she got tired.

Michael placed a soft kiss on Sara's cheek before getting up from his seat and making his way over to Grace. Kneeling beside her, he brushed her red curls away from her face. Grace stopped playing with her doll and looked up at her dad. "Time for bed."

The little girl didn't fight it. She reached up and wrapped her little arms around her father's neck, leaning her head against his shoulder. By this time Grace and Michael had the entire rooms attention. "Can you say goodnight to everyone?"

Grace's little hand waved and then went directly to her rubbing her eyes. Michael rubbed his hand along his daughters back and turned to take her down the hall to her bedroom. At the door, her little head came up to whisper in his ear. "Can mommy come?"

Michael turned back and met Sara's eyes. "Sure." He said as he waited for Sara to get up from the couch and follow. The three disappeared down the hall.

With Grace tucked in, Michael and Sara began heading back to the living room and their guests. Just before they rounded the corner Michael stopped and grabbed Sara's hand, pulling her up short. Sara turned to face her husband as he closed the gap between them. She knew that look and gratefully tilted her face up to meet his lips. The kiss was slow and through. Pulling back, "I've been wanting to do that all night," Michael smiled.

Sara closed the distance again and gave her husband another soft kiss. "Is that all you've wanted to do Scofield?" she said with a teasing glint in her eye.

He groaned as her hands brushed against his stomach. Leaning his forehead against hers, "Don't start something you can't finish."

Sara stepped back, putting a little space between them. "Oh I'll finish," she smiled. "Later," she whispered as she rounded the corner into the living room, leaving Michael standing in the hallway trying to keep himself from grabbing hold of his wife and dragging her into their bedroom guests or not.

When Michael finally rejoined the group, they were laying out the scrabble board. Sam looked up at him and smiled. "Perfect timing. You ready to lose Scofield?"

Michael couldn't help but laugh as he took a seat beside his wife.

The night wore on and the couples played a rather rowdy few games of scrabble. As usual, Michael and Sam were the only competitors.

At eleven thirty, the TV was turned on and the game put away as the group focused on enjoying the New Years Eve festivities on the screen. It was already the New Year in New York but there was still a countdown going on for the rest of the country. At eleven fifteen, Sara saw LJ disappear down the hall. Jessica was sitting on the couch next to her parents listening to a local news anchor interview a group of partiers about their New Year's resolutions. Sara just smiled. She didn't think the girl had any idea what LJ had in mind for tonight.

At eleven fifty-five, LJ reappeared and pulled Jessica into his arms for a hug. Tom's shoulders stiffened briefly but he kept his eyes focused on the TV. Sara moved to stand next to Michael and Sam next to Lincoln. Everyone was in couples in preparation for the traditional New Years kiss. With two minutes to go, Sara saw LJ whisper in Jessica's ear and the couple disappear down the hallway.

As the countdown clock reached midnight for Chicago, Sara wrapped her arms around Michael's waist and enjoyed another long kiss. It was so long that it took Lincoln loudly clearing his throat to break them apart. Michael just smiled at his brother and raised his eyebrow in question.

Lincoln laughed and shook his head. "You'd think you two would be over the newlywed stage by now."

It was Sara who spoke up, "Never," and brought her lips once again to Michael's. And although he was laughing at his wife's response to his brother, he wasn't about to miss out on the proffered kiss.

As they broke apart, Sara noticed Megan Rice looking around for her daughter. Tom's gaze soon followed and Sara looked pleadingly at Sam and Lincoln for help.

Sam elbowed Lincoln and nodded toward Tom before addressing Megan. "Could you help us in the kitchen, Megan?"

The woman appeared to be caught off guard for a minute, "Uh, yea, sure."

Michael squeezed Sara's hand as the three women disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the men to entertain Tom and keep him out of LJ and Jessica's way.

~

With only a minute to go before midnight, LJ led Jess into the room they were going to share tonight. Closing the door behind them, he let Jess take in the scene for a second before moving to lead her across the room in front of the large window.

Jessica took in the room. She knew LJ had arranged to them to spend the night here at Michael and Sara's since their apartment was on the other side of town. She'd been in the room before. It was the guest room with a full size bed, dresser and nightstand. The room was nice but it had never struck her as spectacular until now.

Lit with at least a dozen candles, the room was filled with the most amazing smells. There were flowers too. Violets. Her favorite.

LJ stood before her, holding her hands in his. He looked nervous. "LJ what is it?" Jess asked as she brought her hand up to cup his face.

He smiled and took a deep breath before taking her hand from his cheek and placing it back at her side. His eyes flicked to the clock on the nightstand. Her eyes followed and she noticed the numbers change to 12:00.

Movement caught her eye and she looked to LJ again only he wasn't where he'd been only a moment ago. He was kneeling before her. She gasped. Suddenly she knew and her heart was pounding uncontrollably in her chest.

LJ held onto her left hand with his, removed the ring from his pocket and met her now tear filled gaze. "Jessica Anne Rice, will you marry me?"

She could barely speak. This was more than she could have imagined. It was perfect. "Yes," she whispered.

The smile LJ sent back to her was blinding even in the dim light. Her fingers were trembling as he slipped the ring on her finger and stood.

Jessica wrapped her arms around him. Her mouth found his as his arms pulled her against him. The kiss didn't end for quite sometime. Finally he pulled back just enough to see her face. "I love you," he whispered.

She didn't let him say anymore before she pulled his lips back to hers.

~

Thirty minutes later and LJ and Jessica still weren't back. Michael, Sara, Sam and Lincoln were running out of ideas on how to keep the Rice's distracted. They all knew what LJ had planned and were trying to give the young couple plenty of time alone but it was beginning to prove difficult.

Sara figured it would be much better for one of them to interrupt the couple than it would be her parents and was just about to suggest Michael go try to find them when the two finally appeared. Both wore smiles that radiated from across the room. Sara could also see Jessica's lips were slightly swollen and her hair a bit mussed. She really hoped the two hadn't been doing more than kissing. Not that she minded in the least personally, but she was sure Jessica's parents would and she'd just as soon the couple wait until the girls parents left before celebrating in that way.

Tom and Megan noticed their daughter only seconds after she entered the room and stood from the couch clearly awaiting an explanation for the absence. Jessica's hand was secure in LJ's as they both approached her parents. "Mom. Dad," Jess said before taking a deep, steadying breath. "LJ just asked me to marry him." Although it didn't seem possible, her smile got even brighter.

Sara wasn't sure what kind of reaction she'd been expecting but seeing Tom and Megan Rice embrace the couple without hesitation wasn't one of them. Each hugged their daughter and then proceeded to congratulate LJ, Megan with a hug, Tom with a handshake. The four remaining people in the room let out a collective sigh of relief.

Drinks were poured and a toast made to the young couple. With the tension in the room completely gone, Sam asked Jessica for details on LJ's proposal which she gladly shared. Everyone appeared to be basking in happiness as Tom, Megan, Lincoln and Sam said their goodnights.

The two couples took a few minutes to finish cleaning up after the other's left. Sara made a final swipe of the kitchen counter before wiping her hands on the dishtowel and tossing it on the counter before going to find her husband. Michael was leaning over the Christmas tree disconnecting the lights for the night. Smiling, she came up behind him wrapping her arms about his waist.

As Michael stood, he placed a hand over hers before turning in her embrace. Wrapping his arms around his wife's shoulders he pulled her against him. Her growing belly was still small enough not to get in the way as he buried his face in her curls.

Hearing movement from across the room, they saw LJ and Jessica get up from the couch and make their way down the hall to their room.

With a quick glance at each other, Michael released his wife and went to turn off the rest of the lights. Flipping the last switch, he slipped his hand in Sara's and they made their way down the hall.

Stopping first to check on their daughter, they made their way into their bedroom and closed the door. Sara walked to her dresser and removed the necklace and earrings she'd worn for the evening. As she set the last piece down, she felt Michael's arms wrap around her from behind. "Is it later yet?"

Keeping her face serious she turned and slid her arms up his and around his neck pulling his lips down to meet hers. "Oh it most definitely is."


End file.
